A/N: Um…I have nothing to say about this, actually.

As Regulus struggled up the hill behind Rabastan and Barty, he decided that he really needed to stop wandering around when he needed to think. Either that or he really needed to learn to bring his snow gear with him.

After everything that had happened yesterday, he had had far too many questions to answer for himself. Questions about how he truly felt, and whether or not he could really pull this off. As was his habit, he had wandered first the castle, and when that didn't help sought inspiration from the open sky.

It had led him to wandering the snowy grounds from twilight to nearly pre-dawn, when his fingers and legs had become too stiff for movement. It was also most of the reason Severus had told him about James's disappearance so late. He'd been surprised to find the older Slytherin still awake when he'd stumbled in a few hours later. He had gone to sleep for a few hours, only to wake up and discover he felt like he'd come off worse in a fight with an angry Veela, but had tried to ignore it in light of later things.

His head had felt as if it weighed more than all the rest of him, he had difficultly breathing, and to top it off had developed a rather nasty cough. If he'd known going to bed was going to do that to him, he wouldn't have slept at all. Ever.

Breakfast, he supposed, had gone the way it had because he was feeling so ill and trying to hide it. He hadn't meant to say those things to Sirius, even if had meant them.

He reached the Entrance Hall quite out of breath and coughing horribly in spite of all his efforts to contain it. In fact, the more he tried not to cough the worse he seemed to get.

As Regulus nearly tripped over the steps leading into the castle, he wondered if it wouldn't have been better to just go to bed after Transfiguration. Though achy, he hadn't felt quite so badly then. Only now, after Herbology, was he feeling so awful he had to lean against the wall the minute he was inside.

"Reg? You okay?" Rabastan asked. Regulus couldn't find his voice to answer. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to force air into his lungs.

"Of course he's not, you idiot," he heard Barty snap, and the weight of a hand on his shoulder. "Regulus, you need us to get someone?"

Regulus didn't answer. He opened his eyes momentarily, closed them again, and then felt the world suddenly tip beneath his feet.

Everything was mercifully silent for a while, he couldn't have said how long, before muttering voices invaded his ears.

"Completely irresponsible…should have been in bed…skin you both alive if he…"

Regulus groaned and opened his eyes. He immediately wished he hadn't as the world began to spin. Rolling over onto his hands and knees- someone was holding him though he hadn't seen whom- he began to throw up. A part of him realized how embarrassing this was, but he couldn't be completely sure he cared.

"That's so gross!" He heard Rabastan cry from somewhere to his left.

"Grow up LeStrange," a voice next to Regulus snapped. He recognized it now as Severus's. 'Shit.'

Regulus coughed again, and spit onto the ground. That really was a disgusting thing to do. He heard air rushing from a wand being waved and knew that Severus had cleaned it up, even as a hand was placed on his back.

"You done?" Severus's voice sounded concerned, and Regulus was now officially worried about his state of health. If Severus wasn't even bothering to mask his worry he was definitely sicker than he'd originally thought. He could only nod weakly, in any case, in response to the question.

Much to Regulus's surprise, Severus's next action was to pick him up. He'd simply reached over and rolled him back into his arms, then slid one arm behind his back and the other under his knees before standing up.

"Severus!" Regulus's exclamation sounded weak even in his own ears, and he winced. "Put me down."

"You are in no condition to walk. You're burning up, are dehydrated, and who knows what else is wrong with you. You should have stayed in bed, and so help me if you've done any permanent damage…"

Regulus laughed in spite of himself, and immediately wished he hadn't as he was immediately taken by another coughing fit that left him dizzy and breathless.

Severus had stopped during all this, and was now looking down at him somewhat warily. "You will warn me if you are going to throw up, won't you?"

Regulus nodded weakly, resting his head against Severus's shoulder and closing his eyes. It was somewhat comforting, he found, to feel this protected as Severus walked threateningly down the hallways and snapped at any who dared get in his way. He would have laughed if he'd felt up to it. As it was, most of his energy had been spent teasing Severus about Lily earlier.

The sound of several pairs of feet coming toward them and Severus suddenly freezing made Regulus open his eyes. He could make out Sirius and his friends standing in their way. He lifted his head to see if James was with them and immediately wished he hadn't.

"Move, Black," Severus said tersely, and Regulus could feel his hands tightening around him almost imperceptibly.

"What's all this then?" Sirius asked angrily.

"Is he alright?"

James's voice that time. Regulus moved his head to see and the world spun violently.

"Gonna' be sick," he managed to mutter. Severus acted quickly, setting him on the ground just in time for him to begin vomiting again. Having no food left to throw up, it was most definitely worse this time.

"Oh, yuck," he heard one of Sirius's friends, Peter he thought, mutter.

"Does he look alright to you, Potter?" Severus snapped, and Regulus heard him wave his wand again to clean up the mess even as Regulus himself remained kneeling on the ground gasping for breath. "He's sick. I'm taking him to Madame Pomphrey."

"How sick is he?"

"Do I look like a healer, Black? All I know is he's sick enough to need her attention."

"Still here…" Regulus protested weakly, trying to get up. He did not want to look weak in front of James. Instead he found himself on the ground again, blinking at the shoes of the Gryffindors. He felt Severus's arms wrap around him again to pick him up, and this time he didn't bother to protest. This time walking was most certainly not an option.

"We'll come with you." James whispered.

Personally, Regulus wasn't sure what to think of the idea. On the one hand, he was glad that James cared enough. On the other hand, this wasn't exactly an ideal situation for his pride.

Severus had tensed at that statement, but he seemed to recognize that he had no say in the matter. Very little say, anyway, as he relaxed after a moment and shifted Regulus so that his head was now against Severus's shoulder. "You and Black may accompany us. If they come, however, it will look suspicious."

Regulus could hear some hurried whispering, and apparently one of them must have given the affirimtive as Severus started moving again.

"Do try not to slow us down."