Author's Note: All Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling. But I own all original characters.

Chapter Four

Tired and Comfort

Emily's tired eyes beamed when she saw Severus walking into the room. He had been visiting her for a full week now.

"Hello Severus," she said, her voice matched her eyes.

"Is everything all right?" he asked sitting down.

Emily's looked exhausted, making Severus look in concern.

"I'm just tired," said Emily. "I'm also going into get another bone marrow transplant."

"Bone marrow transplant?"

Emily nodded; "The doctors are hoping that this is the last one I will be having."

"How many have you had before?" asked Snape.

"Three times before," said Emily. "I'll also be given heaps of chemotherapy."

After spending this week with Emily, Snape has learned a fair amount of what this little girl has been through. This isn't the first time she's been in hospital. When she was still a little baby, she developed stage one hooping cough that was threatening to go into stage two. Come the age of five, she suffered a case of juvenile meningitis and yet this child was able to hold a smile and act like a normal little girl.

Emily has told Snape about her times in hospital.

"It's annoying sometimes, because all I want to do is play," she told him on his third day there.

But she was able to get out and about every now and again, though she had to get around in a wheelchair and she would sit with the other kids, Snape would hang back and watch, his eyes swore just how many children there were whom were sick or other.

There was a boy about Emily's age who also had leukaemia and a girl who was a burns victim, the left of her face was entirely scared and down the left of her neck and further. So many children…yet they were all showing the same strength, the same courage and bravery. It amazed Snape on just how strong these little kids were.

Now Snape looked at Emily, who was just appeared to be so, so tired.

"When do you go in?" he asked.

"Sometime today," said Emily. "After mum comes."

"I'll stay with you until then," said Snape.

Emily gave a small and tired smile; she placed a hand on Snape's hand. They sat in silence and waited as the minutes ticked by.



Kathleen arrived just in time, for they were ready to wheel Emily into the theatre and start the transplant. Kathleen told Snape he could go, but Snape firmly told her he wasn't leaving.

"I'm not leaving you alone," said Snape.

Kathleen couldn't help but be grateful, despite the tear threatening face she was wearing. So they went and sat in the cafeteria of the hospital. This made Snape realise that he hasn't really gotten to know the mother of young Emily; he was always leaving just moments after she arrives.

"May I ask where Emily's father is for all of this?" Snape asked, hoping he wasn't being too personal.

Kathleen just gave a very, small smile, seeming to understand why he would ask.

"Emily's father hasn't been around since before I knew I was pregnant," said Kathleen. "He kind of freaked out when I told him something that I was something more than just an ordinary muggle."

Snape raised his eyebrows; "You're a witch you mean?"

Kathleen nodded. "I figured that you were a wizard, but I didn't want to say anything."

"Were you married to the father?"

"No, I was engaged," said Kathleen. "But none of that matters, I have Emily and…I just want this to stop."

A tear ran down her cheek, Kathleen put her face in the palm of her hands and her shoulders began to shake. Snape could only do the only logical thing and that was to place his arms around Kathleen and held her while she wept.