Chapter 15
Severus had been there, just laying there lifeless, for nearly a week now and it was beginning to weigh heavily on Ron. He feared that the older man may never wake up until, one night, while he was trying to sleep he heard movement come from the bed. "Severus?" The Gryffindor said as he moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. A loud groan escaped Snape's lips as he fought to turn over and look at the younger man. "Severus." He said again as he brushed the hair from the other's face. "Sh, don't move….I'll go get someone to…."
"No." The potions master said so very weakly as he managed to place his hand on the other's thigh. "Stay with me?"
"Course." The red head replied as he laid down giving the older man plenty of room. "I was so worried about you…..Don't ever scare me like that again, ok?"
They simply laid there for about twenty minutes before Severus gained the strength to speak again. "Not true." He whispered into Ron ear.
"What's not true?" He asked feeling as if he missed an entire conversation or something of that nature. Quickly he thought back at everything he had said during the time Snape was in a coma, but couldn't think of anything that was not true.
"Whatever he…"He paused to take a deep breath so he didn't cry out in pain again. Everything hurt, talking, moving, thinking even. "told you……not true." He managed to breath out.
Ron's eyes narrowed as he realized what Severus was talking about and he felt a rage build inside him. "Lupin, you mean?" He said through clenched teeth. The older man merely nodded which made him wince. The red heads expression lightened quickly. "You should rest now. I'll be here in the morning."
And for once in his life Severus did as he was told. The entire night the Gryffindor laid in the bed and simply watched his lover he consider him his 'lover' if they never made love? If he wasn't Snape's lover then was Remus? Ron asked himself a hundred other questions of this nature as he stared at the canopy of the bed and before he knew it the sub had begun to rise. Carefully he rolled over to place a kiss on Severus' forehead before as quietly as possible getting up to see if anyone else was awake. After all, he had to tell someone that Snape was finally awake.
When he entered the kitchen he realized that it was only 5 AM and that there would be no one awake this early so with a sigh he got something to drink and some crackers then took them back up to the room. Severus had to eat something no matter how much he would probably protest. "Sev." The Gryffindor said as he ever so gently nudged the older man's shoulder.
"Hmm…" He said sleepily as his eyes fluttered open. An actual smile graced his lips as the red head came into focus.
"Here," He said as he set the plate down on the bed. "I brought you something to eat." He picked up a cracker and held it up to Snape's lips.
Slowly he opened his mouth and took a very small bite, chewing slowly not wanting to cause himself any more pain than he would have to. After finishing off only three crackers he decided he could eat no more, but drank the entire glass of water that Ron had brought him. "Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me, Sev. I just want to see you get better so we can be together again." slowly he leaned down to place a kiss on the older man's lips and was surprised when Snape returned it and even opened his mouth for him. "Mmmm." He murmured when the kiss finally broke.
The two of them both jumped when they heard someone clear their throat from the doorway behind them. Ron spun around quickly to see who had caught him which caused Severus to groan in pain. "Look, you hurt him. I think you should leave now." Remus said as he entered the room with a small bag.
"I'm not leaving him alone with you. And you're crazy to even think such a thing would ever happen." The red head said as he placed his hand on Snape's shoulder to apologize for moving to quickly and hurting him.
"Don't be so worried, Ron, I'd never hurt him." The lycan said as he brought a vial of potion over to the bed and held it out to the younger man. "Give this to him, it will help ease the pain greatly."
"I'm not giving him anything from you. You're the one who turned him into them, you're the one who is responsible for the pain he is suffering now, and you're going to regret it."
"It will help him, I swear it. Don't you want him to get better?" Remus said slightly frustrated.
"Of course I want him to get better, but I don't trust you!"
"Shh, Ron, let me see the potion." Severus said quietly as he reached up to take it from him. Ron started to protest as the Slytherin brought the vial to his nose and inhaled then, to Ron's horror, he drank it.
"Sev, he nearly got you killed and now you drink some unknown potion."
The potion worked quickly as Severus thought it would and within a few moments he was able to sit up. "It's alright, if it had been poison I would have known."
"They were never supposed to hurt you this much…He lied to me." Lupin said regretfully as he dug through the bag he had brought in with him. "And they were supposed to release you right after the full moon. We had a deal."
"You can't make a deal with him! He doesn't care about anyone but himself and obviously you are the same way right now. You sold Sev to them for your own personal gain, but look, you got nothing!" Ron was breathing heavily from screaming at the werewolf.
"Oh, you're wrong, boy. I got exactly what I wanted from this." After this was said Remus left the room.
The Gryffindor turned his eyes to Severus who was looking so much better than he had even an hour ago which brought a smile to his lips. "Never got to tell you. I lo…."
"Oh, Severus, you're awake." Minerva McGonagall practically sang out as she entered then room and gave him a soft hug. "I see Remus came up and gave you something to help with the pain. Wonderful. Mr. Weasley, can I ask a favor of you?" Ron nodded. "Will you be so kind to help Severus wash up and change into some new clothes and bandages? Normally I would never ask such a thing but he seems so comfortable with you."
"Why must you talk about me like I'm not here?" A deep voice broke into the conversation.
"I'm sorry, Severus, would you like Ron to help or should I get someone else?"
"His help will be fine. Thank you, Minerva, you may go now and let everyone know I didn't die in my sleep as they all prayed I would." He replied though not bitterly, more as a joke really.
"Very well, Severus, welcome back." She said as she left the room, locking the door behind her.
"Does everyone know about us?" The Gryffindor asked feeling slightly odd that the whole world seemed to be ok with Ron being alone with Sev.
"Knowing them, yes." Snape said as he began to work at his buttons but had little success. His muscles were still far too weak for him to do much on his own.
"Oh, here, let me help." the red head said as he quickly reached up and began freeing the buttons. "I'll go get a rag you can get this off the rest of the way, right?" After the older man nodded Ron went into the small bathroom the filled a small tub with warm water, grabbed a rag, then went back to the Slytherin's bedside. He nearly lost his breath when he saw the extent of the damage that had been done to that beautiful body. "That looks terrible." He said pointing to a mark on his shoulder that stuck out.
"It feels terrible." He responded wincing slightly as the warm water touched his many cuts.
"If it hurts too much just let me know and I'll let you do it."
"No, it hurts less when you touch me." This confession got a smile from the red head.
"Were you and Lupin ever 'together' like he said you were?" The Gryffindor asked as he started gently cleansing another are of wounded flesh.
"You mean did we ever sleep together, or was he my boyfriend?"
"Either, both?"
"Yes, both I suppose even though I would never see myself having a 'boyfriend'."
"Oh, did you tell him you loved him?"
"Yes."
"Did you mean it?"
"Once, a long time ago."
"Do you still feel…."
"No. There is only room for one love in my life."
"Me?"
"No, my imaginary friend.:" Snape laughed.
"Oh, well tell them they are very lucky then." Ron laughed back.
"You're terrible, you know that?" The older man said as he used what little strength he could muster to pull Ron's lips to his own.
"I really don't like the way that looks, Sev." the red head said after the kiss broke as he motioned to the odd looking wound on his left shoulder.
"I'll live." Was all he said as he glanced down at it. Of course he didn't want to tell Ron what it looked like to him, or what he remembered about being held captive. He didn't want to tell him that he would have to leave him, not yet anyway. Right now he just wanted to be sure the boy knew that everything was going to be fine.
"Sev, I think you should rest now. This has taken a lot out of you. Would you like me to get you a new shirt to put on?"
"Hm, oh no, I'll just not wear one. Are you going to leave?"
"Not until you fall asleep, but I do have to go talk to Harry and Hermione sometime today. I haven't seen them in nearly a week now. Been too busy looking after you."
"I thought I told you that you would need your friends?"
"You did, but they told me to stay in here with you."
"Of course, how understanding they are." He mused.
"They're the best, I know. Now lay down and get some sleep. I'll be right back I just have to dump this in the tub." Ron said as he rose and headed into the bathroom. He honestly couldn't stand seeing Severus in this condition, but he knew it would only get better now that they were back together, now that he was safe.