Disclaimer and Notes: JKR owns it all. No money made, but lots of time wasted. I am converting from serial drabble format for this fic, welcome to my first attempts at long fic. Sorry for the long wait, but writing in long format is agonizing and I hope it becomes easier with practice. Proofed and edited on short notice by the lovely LadyFlash.

Chapter 18 - I Wish to Wake in Your Dreams

Crookshanks curled up next to the sleeping Potions Master, whose hand lightly drifted across the cat's fur. The cat's last waking thoughts focused on the distant chimes of the clock tower, and his hopes that life with the wizard would be better now.

T'was midnight on Samhain Eve and Severus stirred in his dreams, opening his eyes only seeing the dim light of his chambers and a sleeping Crookshanks by his side.

He felt strange, as if something wasn't quite right in his chambers. He moved to rise but a force pushed him gently back down onto his bed. "Severus, you should be sleeping," commented the soft, familiar voice.

"Hermione?" he croaked. "Gods, please tell me I've experienced nothing but a cruel nightmare."

"I cannot," she replied sadly.

Severus felt her hand stroke gently across his forehead. He tried to reach for her, but he felt too exhausted to move. He urgently focused his energies and blurted hoarsely, "I miss you," his loneliness palpable in his avowal.

"I know, I heard your call," she said quietly, her own heart breaking for him. "I miss you terribly, and I know all of this has been so very hard on you."

"I want to see you," he demanded, his voice craggy because it was difficult to speak at all.

Forcing his drowsy eyes open, he saw her setting on the edge of the bed wearing her old nightgown and he almost expected her to crawl under the covers to lie beside him, but he felt no pressure from a body there.

She leaned over him speaking earnestly, "Severus you must go to sleep. It is not good for you to be awake."

"No sleep," he growled fighting the fatigue.

"Oh Severus, you are impossibly stubborn," she scolded lightly.

She glanced down at the sleeping cat curled against his leg. Severus could hear the smile in her voice. "I am glad to see you are getting along with Crookshanks now, he does like you. He's only wanted your affection."

A smirk twitched on his lips. "Damn…cat…sheds," he whispered heavily.

"Sleep Severus," she said lightly as she bent over kissing his cheek. Her touch felt like a warm feather brushing his skin. It felt like home and hearth and heaven all at once.

"Want…want to be…with you," he gasped heavily and his eyes closed each word a burden upon his lungs.

"And you will be, eventually. I am always with you Severus but not the way you want me to be. You must heed Albus' counsel, you need to live and share your life given the time you have."

Severus felt comforting warmth originating from his hand and he forced his eyes open to see her holding it. "You are fading."

"Yes, my time is limited here," she acknowledged, then chided, "now sleep Severus and dream."

"How am I to accomplish what you ask?" he rasped trying to sound angry hoping to keep her just a few moments longer.

Although her voice was becoming more distant he heard her teasing quip, "Silly man, the solution is right under your nose!"

oOo

Crookshanks urgent yowls acted as Snape's alarm clock the following morning. Severus felt extremely tired and very comfortable in the bed, but the hands of the clock pointed to quarter past ten.

He figured if he didn't rise soon Albus would come looking for him, no doubt due to last night's events. His call had reached Hermione, but she was nothing like the Grey Lady. His heart beat rapidly as he remembered the conversation.

The cat meowed from the floor and lept upon the bed and proceeded boldly in making himself an utter nuisance in an attempt to rouse the wizard.

"Alright, enough, I'm getting up," groused Severus until he tried to rise from the bed. His left arm and leg were numb and the muscles in chest hurt as he nudged his body upright with his right elbow. Flexing the fingers in his left hand he knew something wasn't right.

He then swung his legs of the mattress, flexing his left foot. "Everything seems to work," he thought as he tried to stand, but he stumbled a bit before catching his balance by bracing is right arm against the wall.

It took him a few minutes to reach the fireplace on unsteady legs, grabbing a fist full of Floo powder from the pot on his mantle; he called "Pomfrey, Infirmary."

The green image of the healer appeared in the fireplace, "Yes Severus, did you complete those potions already?"

Snape took a deep breath and groaned at the sharp pain in his left lung. "Come through the Floo. Something is wrong,"

The mediwitch arrived instantly in a near run out of the hearth. She turned taking one look at Snape who was still wearing his ragged red nightshirt, his hair hanging limp in messy clumps as he bent over, clutching himself across his waist and using his right shoulder to prop himself against the mantle.

Poppy grabbed him by the waist and with the strength of supporting countless patients over the years escorted him quickly back to the bed. "Lay down. I need to determine what ails you," she commanded sternly, worried that he was too compliant.

The witches face contorted with thoughts and concerns as she ran through her battery of spells. "Your lifestyle has finally caught up to you," clucked the frowning witch, "I knew this would happen eventually, just like Albus you are!"

Before he could respond to her comment she spun around heading towards fireplace, grabbing some floo powder and yelling, "Accio kit seventeen."

Seconds later a box shot out of his fireplace and skidded to a halt a meter from his bed. He recognized the box and knew its contents since he made them. "How bad is it?" he asked firmly.

Her back creaked as she bent over the box plucking the bottles out of their cubbyholes. "Bad enough I'd say for a young wizard in this fifties," she admonished moving to his side and setting the potions up on the nightstand.

He scowled at her comment, and she crossed her arms frowning down at him. "Lovely that you are feeling better Severus, but let me put it to you straight. You are damn lucky to be here lying there thinking I exist as a mere inconvenience. Your arm and leg are numb because you had a mild stoke triggered by several small anginas," she lectured sternly before continuing in a more worried tone, "Lord only knows what kept you here. Now drink this before I hex you."

He drank the two sweet potions for blood replenishing and heart strengthening, leaving the dry bitter toxin removal for last. He moved to get out of bed.

"Where do you think you are going?" she demanded.

"I have things to do, a house to manage," he snapped.

"You will find that this little bout of ills won't allow for a quick rebound Severus. You need to give the toxin removal potion time to flush your system, your leg and arm won't be working for a while," she stated sympathetically while forcing him lay down.

"How long am I to be your prisoner Warden Pomfrey?" he asked with false congeniality.

Poppy snorted. "Three days minimum, more if I say so. You are lucky I don't send you to the hospital wing! Oh and by the way prisoner Snape, you are on rations. You are not to consume any more gravy or cream sauce, and no greasy food such as bacon, or sausages. Well, anyhow I will be sending you and the house-elves a list."

She got the last word if the frowning expression on surly Potions Master was any indication.

"I see we have an understanding then," she stated primly. "I will be informing Albus of your condition."

Severus turned away refusing to look at her and swiftly waved a dismissal with his good arm.

"Oh very well," she huffed with exasperation as she picked up her kit from the floor. "You there," she called to Crookshanks, "you keep an eye on him and let me know if he disobeys."

Snape could have sworn he saw the cat nod.