Rating: PG-13

Genres: Romance, Angst, Fluff

Warnings: n/a

Spoilers: n/a

Summary: After Harry gets injured during the Final Battle, only Severus seems interested. Will he be able to pull Harry back together?

Song: Do or Die

Artist: Papa Roach

Author's Note: Originally a songfic, the lyrics have been removed from this fic to comply with FF rules. Song lyrics can be found here: www (dot) azlyrics (dot) com (slash) lyrics (slash) paparoach (slash) doordie (dot) html

For the original version of this fic, please check out my livejournal:

www (dot) livejournal (dot) com (slash) users (slash) Harry (underscore) sev (slash)

xxx

He couldn't believe it. After months upon months of training to defeat the bastard, Harry Potter was stuck in a coma. Apparently he had used up too much of his energy in the battle. As Severus Snape looked down at the fragile body on the hospital bed, he felt his chest tighten. The young man deserved more than this.

xxx

Over the next few days, Severus spent all his time in his rooms. He wanted to be up in the hospital wing with Harry, but he was sure that once news spread about what had happened to the young hero, he would have fans surrounding him at every moment. Severus had no desire to be around dozens of adoring fans, so he stayed in his rooms. He missed his night time chats with Harry. During preparation for the war, the two had become good friends. Severus, of course, had found himself falling more and more in love with the Gryffindor, but he knew that Harry wasn't meant for him. That thought didn't help with his loneliness at all.

xxx

After about a week of hiding out in his rooms, Severus decided to brave the crowds and check on Harry. What he found shocked him. The only two occupants in the room were an unconscious-Harry Potter and a very tired-looking Poppy Pomfrey. There were no adoring fans. There weren't even any fretting Weasleys. Harry was all alone.

"I would have thought that there'd be someone else here," Severus said quietly as he walked over to the foot of Harry's bed. Poppy shook her head sadly.

"I would have thought so too, but that's not the case. No one seems to care about Harry anymore now that the war's over."

xxx

From that day on Severus spent all his time in the hospital wing. He never left Harry's side. Poppy had to yell at him every day or so to go back to his rooms and take a shower. She literally had to shove food into his mouth to get him to eat.

xxx

During the nights he spent alone with Harry in the hospital wing, Severus talked to the young wizard. Harry had saved his life so many times, and Severus told him as much. Looking down at the young man he loved more than anything, Severus started to cry. Gently rubbing his thumb over the back of Harry's hand, Severus leaned down and pressed his lips against Harry's forehead.

"Please come back to me," whispered Severus brokenly. "I can't live without you. I love you."

xxx

Two months later Harry moved. It wasn't much at first, just a simple twitch of the hand, but it soon became much more. Harry began to shift in his bed and groan. While he was overjoyed that Harry was showing signs of life, Severus knew that the time had come for him to leave. There was no saying that Harry would be pleased to see Severus when he woke up. He'd probably think that Severus was some old pervert or something for standing over him for so many weeks. So, ignoring Poppy's glare, Severus fled the hospital wing moments before Harry woke up.

xxx

The first thing Harry noticed when he woke up was that he was all alone. Yes, Poppy was there beside him, smiling and welcoming him back to the land of the living, but she was the nurse. It was her job to be there. Other than her, no one was there. Harry was almost sure that he had heard Severus talking to him, whispering words of love, but as Harry sat there in the cold hospital wing all by himself, he knew for sure that he was just dreaming. As if the man would want to be with him.

Poppy saw the dejected look appearing in Harry's eyes and decided to step up before things went too far. "How are you feeling, little one? You gave us quite a scare."

Deciding to ignore the word "us" in that sentence, Harry muttered, "Sorry. I feel fine. I actually feel better than I did before: more rested. What happened? Is Voldemort, I mean, did I..."

"Yes, Harry, you killed him," smiled Poppy, checking Harry over with his wand. He looked to be in perfect health. Perhaps all he had ever needed was a really long nap. The boy had looked so tired during the war.

"Is everyone, you know, all right?" he asked, not looking her in the eye.

"There were many casualties, but no one that you knew too well personally."

"Is Sev...er...Professor Snape all right?"

Poppy chuckled at the slip-up of Severus's name. The boy was looking down at his hands. The sad expression on his face nearly broke her heart.

"Yes, dear, Severus is fine," she said. She smiled when she saw Harry visibly relax. "You know, he hasn't left you alone since you got here," she told him, deciding to ignore the first week Severus spent hiding in his rooms.

"Really?" asked Harry. At Poppy's nod, he frowned. "Then why isn't he here now?"

"Oh, you know Severus," she smiled. "He doesn't like anyone to know that he actually has a heart. Except for the times when I had to force him to leave and bathe, he's been by your side the entire time. He left just before you woke up. I think he was scared of what you would think of him if you woke up and found out that he had stayed."

Harry smiled. Yes, that sounded like the Severus he loved. The more he thought about Poppy's words, the more Harry realized that what he had thought were dreams of Severus' confessing his love for Harry might actually be true. Maybe Severus did love him. Looking up at Poppy, Harry asked, "Can I go and talk to Severus?"

Poppy smiled and nodded her approval. "Of course you can. But go straight there and try not to tire yourself out too much. You did just recover from a coma, you know."

"Thanks, Poppy. I'll be careful." Harry got out of bed, hugged Poppy, and started to leave.

"Harry?" Poppy called out, trying not to laugh. "You might want to put on some actual clothes first."

Harry looked down at his hospital pajamas and blushed.

xxx

Harry walked down to the dungeons and knocked on the door. After a moment it opened to reveal a very tired Severus Snape. Harry could see the dark circles under his eyes, eyes that were filled with concern and something else as they looked down at Harry.

"Harry, I'm glad to see that you're doing better. You gave Poppy quite a scare, you know."

Harry knew that Severus was trying-and failing-to make Harry think that he hadn't been in the hospital all that time.

"Poppy told me that you stayed by my side the entire time," said Harry. There was no point in beating around the bush.

Severus immediately flushed at those words. Damn Poppy. She just couldn't keep anything to herself, could she?"

"Yes, well, someone had to keep an eye out for you, didn't they?" Severus demanded. "After all, you clearly can't take care of yourself."

Harry smiled. Severus was getting so defensive. Harry thought it was adorable. He stepped closer to Severus, and Severus stepped back a little. Harry kept walking until he had Severus backed against a wall. Still smiling, Harry leaned forward and kissed Severus.

xxx

As he felt warm lips press against his own, Severus wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and pulled his closer. He felt strong arms wrap around his neck and fingers entwine in his hair. He heard Harry moan and push his tongue into Severus' mouth, tasting everything. Severus had never been so aroused in his life. He knew that if this didn't stop now, he would never be able to stop.

Severus pushed Harry away slightly, but not hard enough to send the boy away far. Taking a deep breath, Severus rested his forehead against Harry's. He felt Harry give him one more chaste kiss on the lips before the younger man leaned back enough to look into Severus's eyes.

"Thank you so much for being there," whispered Harry sincerely. "I thought that everyone had forgotten about me."

"I could never forget about you," Severus whispered back.

"You saved my life as well," Harry told him.

"What are you talking about?"

"While I was in the coma or whatever, I heard you talking to me. You told me that you loved me, and that you needed me to come back."

Severus flushed some more. "I didn't think you would actually hear that."

"Well, I'm glad I did. That's the reason that I tried so hard to come back. I've loved you for so long, but I never thought that you would love me. When I heard that you did, however, I was overjoyed. I knew I had to get back here quickly before you decided that you wanted somebody else."

Severus kissed Harry's forehead. "I could never want somebody else. I've loved you for the past six months. Your being in a coma couldn't stop that."

Harry smiled sweetly up at Severus. "I love you," he said before kissing Severus full on the lips.

Breaking away from the kiss, Severus whispered, "I love you, too."

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