A/n: Sorry for the couple of days wait.
Chapter Five
Severus closed the door after Granger had left, his mind reeling. He had been trying to think of anything but Harry over the past few days, quite unsuccessfully if he was honest with himself. He was reasonably certain that his employees were more afraid of him now than they already had been. He had been in a rather foul mood lately, even for him. He had destroyed at least two potions over the past couple days because of Harry. It was rather annoying.
Severus put his potions in stasis and went to lunch, knowing that he would not be able to concentrate now. After lunch, he went back down and tried to work, but Granger's words kept going through his mind. He had felt a sense of shock and relief when she said that Harry was awake. He was grateful, relieved when he shouldn't care at all. But you do care, said an annoying voice in his head. Her next words were what had shocked him the most. Why would Harry refuse to take any potions besides his own?
Severus was fairly certain that Harry didn't know that Draco was the Potions Maker at St. Mungo's or that might have something to do with it. No, you know what the reason is, he thought to himself. After a few hours, he decided to end early for the day, and quickly finished up his potions. He started to gather the potions that Harry would need. He knew he shouldn't bother, but he was doing it before he could stop himself.
~*o*x*o*x*o*x*o*x~
Ron had left, because he had to go to work, leaving Harry alone again. There were magazines and newspapers for him to read, but it became boring after a while. How was he supposed to go through the next three days - at least - of this? He couldn't just keep lying around the hospital doing nothing. He was going to go stir crazy. He was in the middle of reading an article in the Daily Prophet when his door opened. At first, he thought it was a Healer or part of the staff until he got a glimpse of black robes. He looked up, and there was Severus.
"Severus! You're here!" Harry's heart started racing, and he had to remind himself to stay calm. He took a deep breath, but it was hard to think of calming thoughts with Severus there.
"Yes, obviously," Severus said, sitting down some potions on the side table, moving the ones that had already been there away. "Here are the potions you require. Now, if you don't mind." With that, Severus turned to leave.
A wave of anger rushed through Harry. So, he was going to come, drop off the potions, and leave. No fucking way. No. "I don't fucking think so," Harry said, as loud as he could muster. It didn't sound nearly as loud or angry as he wanted, but it was all he could manage at the moment. "You are not going to come in and act like my fucking potions dealer, not after everything we've been through."
It had stopped Severus from leaving, but he hadn't moved closer to the bed. He turned his head back, and said simply, "I don't know what you are trying to imply, but this just isn't -"
"No, don't even bother," Harry said, holding up a hand to silence him. It had gotten Severus's attention, at least, and the potions master had turned towards him. "What, you're going to say all the reason as to why this is a bad idea?" Harry motioned towards of them, to indicate that he was talking about them. "I already know them. Wait, let me see... I'm too young for you, you're a Death Eater, and I'm the Golden Boy. You're an insufferable git, and you think I'm an insolent brat. We're incompatible, and you were - are - in love with my mother. Did I miss anything?"
Severus had come to sit in the chair next to his bed, and he was silent for a moment before speaking. His words surprised Harry a bit. "Why me?" he asked. "You could have literally anyone you wanted. Why me?" It was the most honest that Harry had ever seen Severus, and he was glad that he had finally gotten through to the older man.
Harry smiled at him and scooted a bit closer to the edge of the bed. "Well, for one thing, we're only twenty years apart," he told him, "and that will mean absolutely nothing in fifty years. Besides, I've had years taken off my life because of the injury, so you might outlive me. Secondly, I don't have to pretend with you. Everyone else in my life it seems I have to act like I'm okay when I'm not, but I never have to do that with you, because you understand what I've been through."
Harry made his body sit up so he could be a bit closer to Severus. It protested, and he could feel pain wrack every inch of his body, but it would be worth it. "You don't lie to me, even when the truth isn't something I want to hear," he continued. "For another thing, I am not your student anymore and haven't been for years. You are no longer my teacher." Harry looked at Severus for a moment before continuing. "And you don't have to be lonely and miserable anymore. You've paid your dues." Harry paused for a moment again after that, and a smirk crossed his lips. "At the very least, I know you want me, even if I won't be able to act on that for quite some time."
Harry just stayed there for a bit, knowing that his strength was giving out second by second, and he'd need to lay back down. He shouldn't be doing this in the first place. The next moment, though, Severus had tilted his head, leaned forward, and covered Harry's lips with his own. Harry eagerly responded and kissed him back as Severus slid an arm around Harry's waist to support him.
Severus was very intense as a person, and his kiss did not disappoint. Harry slipped his arms around Severus's neck since that was the easiest place to put them at the moment, considering their positions. Severus had scooted off the chair slightly to get them closer, and his arm around Harry's waist was helping to keep Harry where he wanted him to be. Severus wanted to take full control of the kiss, but Harry quickly pushed back, wanting as much of him as he could get. His breathing was already irregular, so he felt his chest tighten and had to pull away. "I'm sorry, but I just… can't right now," he said.
Severus nodded. "Yes, of course," he said, easing Harry back down into the position he'd found him in. Harry laid heavily back down on the hospital bed as Severus sat back in his chair. He wished their first kiss wasn't here, but such things could not be helped. He wouldn't have traded that for anything. His heart was still beating too quickly, so he took deep breaths to calm it. He desperately wanted to feel Severus's lips against his, his arm around him and cursed his injury for making that be so difficult right now.
"I should be going anyway. I have work to do, and I only came to drop off the potions," Severus said.
Harry reached out and grabbed one of Severus's hands before he had a chance to move. "You don't have to leave." In fact, leaving was the last thing that Harry wanted the older man to do. Now that he had him where he wanted him, he wanted them to spend as much time together as they could.
"Yes, I do, actually," he said. "Your friends will be coming soon, and I should not be here when they do."
"I'm not ashamed or anything -"
"I am aware, but you should tell them before," Severus said.
Harry blushed. The idea had not even occurred to him. He could only imagine the look on Hermione and Ron's faces if they came in and saw Severus here, let alone if they were holding hands or kissing at the time. It was kind of funny, but certainly not how he wanted them to find out. "Yeah, I probably should," he told him. "You're coming back, though, right?"
"Well, I am busy -"
"Yes, but you have to eat," Harry said, a smirk crossing his lips. He knew not to be offended by Severus's words. The kiss had said more than words could say about where the potions master stood. However, this was just who he was. Harry knew he'd have to deal with it.
Severus rolled his eyes at him. "I suppose I do, but your friends will be here for lunch."
"Yes, but you can take a late lunch," Harry said, refusing to wipe the smirk off his face because he knew that he'd won this argument - if you could call it that.
Severus paused for a second before continuing. "I suppose I can," he said. "In that case, I will see you tomorrow." Harry hadn't let go of the potions master's hand, which was rough and stained, but he didn't care. He tugged on it, and Severus leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before leaving him alone in the hospital room again. Harry sighed, and he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
~*o*x*o*x*o*x*o*x~
Hermione showed up after she got off of work and immediately went about fussing - checking his pillows, making sure he had plenty to drink, had he eaten, etc. "I appreciate it, but I'm okay, you know, considering the circumstances," he told her. She relented, and sat down in the chair; the one Severus had been sitting in earlier. He remembered the kiss and had to force himself to come back to reality. "Er, look, I need to tell you something."
"Does it have something to do with Snape?" she asked.
Harry blinked at her. How in the world does she know that? "How…?"
Hermione pointed at the vials that sat on the table by his bed, the ones that Severus had brought. "They're not the ones that you were given yesterday," she told him. "And besides, these have his handwriting on them." She folded her hands in her lap, and just looked at him.
A blush crossed Harry's face. "Forgot about that," he said. "Well, he came over today to drop those, and I sort of - I mean, that is to say, we -" How was he supposed to describe what they were now? He supposed the proper term would be 'together,' but it wasn't as if they had discussed anything, any particular label or status of their relationship. He supposed you could call it that, but didn't that imply something of a more serious nature? Were they serious? Harry had no idea.
"You two decided to stop being stupid?" Hermione suggested.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, that works," he said, smiling. He told her what had happened during their exchange earlier, his mind reeling a bit still. He wanted to tell her that it was Severus that had been stupid, but that wasn't important. It didn't matter now, and it was all in the past.
"Well, I will admit that it's a bit… strange, you know, but I can't make judgments, considering that Draco and I are dating now," she said as if that was the most natural response in the world.
Harry's mind only caught the last end of it, the words 'Draco and I are dating'. "Wait, what? You and Malfoy are?" He knew that they had been friends, but there had been nothing that she had said that indicated that she fancied him at all. She had said that they were simply friends. Then again, he had said pretty much the same thing, and that was far from true.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, we went out to dinner a couple of nights ago, and he - he kissed me," she said. "I have a good feeling about it."
Harry smiled at her. "I'm happy for you, Hermione," he told her.
"Ron isn't," Hermione said, and she told him about the reaction he'd had to finding out. "I know he's hurt, and everything, but - he's so frustrating." She quickly changed the conversation, though, as it was clear that she had no desire to continue talking about Ron. She then told him that she had gone and told Severus that Harry wanted his potions, and no one else's.
"So, I suppose I have you to thank then," he said.
"Someone had to stop you two from being so -"
"Yes, yes, I know," he said.
"Stop who?" Ron said. Harry hadn't noticed him, and apparently, neither had Hermione. He hadn't been sure to tell Ron, who was more judgemental. He didn't really have a choice now, though, at least not one that he could think of. Therefore, Harry told Ron what had transpired between him and Severus earlier. Ron took a deep breath, and a ran a hand through his red hair. "First Hermione and Malfoy, now you and Snape…" He left it that, though, not finishing his sentence.
Hermione leveled with him a glare, before turning to Harry. "As long as this is what both of you want, and he's good to you, it doesn't matter." That shut Ron up.
~*o*x*o*x*o*x*o*x~
The next couple of days passed without incident, and by that, literally nothing happened. Harry slept in the bed, stayed in the bed when he wasn't sleeping - other than going to the loo; he never left the bed. Even going to the loo required a Nurse or a Healer's assistance. Everything seemed to. It was annoying. The most aggravating thing of all was that this was not going to stop. Hermione, Ron, even Seamus and Dean visited him. Hannah stopped by, too, with good wishes from Neville. Severus visited him, too, and though the older man mainly bitched about the incompetence of the staff there at St. Mungo's - and his own staff - the fact that he came meant the world to Harry.
It was a few days after he woke up when Healer Brown seemed to even consider letting him leave. "Please, I'm doing nothing here that I can't do at home," he said. Besides, he had Severus's potions, and with Hermione's doting, he'd be fine! Well, for the most part anyway.
Healer Brown seemed to think it over for a bit, before sighing. "Very well," he relented. Harry grinned. "Now, I want you to understand me, Mr. Potter. You are on strict bed rest. You are not to get up for anyreason. You shouldn't even use the toilet or take a shower on your own. You are to stay in bed, and do nothing. Take your potions. That is the only way that you will fully heal."
"For how long?" Harry asked because that sounded like a rather miserable time to him.
"At least a month," Healer Brown said. Harry forced himself not to groan. "In a month, you will come here for a check up. After that, I will decide if your bed rest should continue or if you can go back to your normal routine. Is any part of this unclear?"
"At least a month," Healer Brown said. Harry forced himself to not groan. "In a month, you will come here for a check up. After that, I will decide if your bed rest should continue or if you can go back to your normal routine. Is any part of this unclear?" Harry shook his head. No, it made perfect sense, but it was certainly not what he wanted to hear. He did not want to spend the next month or two, especially now that he had actually had Severus where he wanted him.
"Good then," he said. "You may leave as soon as you have someone to help you get home. One last note, keep the magic to a minimum. It wastes energy that you don't have right now. Use it only when truly necessary."
Harry nodded. He informed Severus that he was going home, and that night, Ron and Hermione helped him. Ron helped him get to the bedroom, as Hermione transfigured the couch into a bed. This way, he wouldn't have to be moved. Ron helped him change into something comfortable. Harry hated that he needed help at all, but he was so weak. After that, Ron moved him to the couch-turned-bed. This way, he could, at least, watch the telly. It wasn't an exciting prospect.
Hermione made them dinner, and they ate on the bed together, since there was no longer a couch. After that, they went to bed, or to be more precise, Hermione went to bed while Harry turned over on his side, and went to sleep right where he'd been all day. This was going to be a very long month.
~*o*x*o*x*o*x*o*x~
Over the next couple of days, Hermione and Harry got a routine down. She cooked breakfast for both of them, and then cooked lunch for him, as well. She made sure he had plenty of liquids. Everything would have a charm on it to make sure it would stay cold/hot/fresh for him. She would set it all on the coffee table, which was now next to the couch-turned-bed. Despite the fact that she already had lunch made, she would come to check on him. She would cook dinner for them both when she got home.
He wasn't really supposed to be left alone, which made using the toilet somewhat difficult. He had to hold it and wait for someone to come over because he physically couldn't get up on his own. It was annoying. Yes, Harry had plenty of television to watch, but - there was nothing else to do. Yeah, Hermione also set books for him so that he could read. That was basically the entirety of his life at the moment, though, and it wasn't going to get any better. How long before he could go to work?
Harry also felt guilty for Hermione. She had to cook and clean. Luckily, neither were very dirty people. He could use magic to put any dirty stuff in the kitchen, which he had a decent view of from his new bed. Most everyone had jobs, so he didn't have that much company, although Molly did show up one day to make sure he was okay. Ron would also stop by if he didn't have to work. He hated feeling like a burden, though, and that's all he felt like at the moment.
Severus came to visit, too. He came over every day, after lunch time when Hermione could show up at any moment. Harry could tell that he cared. It wasn't anything that he did or said, necessarily, although he would always ask if he was okay if he needed anything… He didn't expect the potions master to change or anything. That was ridiculous, but at least, he was a bit more open - or as open as Severus could be anyway. The man was notoriously private, and Harry understood and respected that.
One thing that royally annoyed Harry was the way it felt like Severus was keeping himself at arm's length. Yes, he came over frequently. They ate together, and then he would leave again. Yes, they always kissed before he left. Harry appreciated the fact that Severus obviously cared, but - they hadn't gone on a real date. It was always brief time during the older man's work days, which were long and that was it. That. Was. It. Harry wanted him to come over for dinner so they could actually spend some time together, and not just in brief, quick sessions. For another thing, Harry wanted to do more than just have a brief kiss before he left. Yes, he knew their ability to do that was limited while Harry was injured. Severus, however, seemed to be almost afraid that he was going to hurt him.
It was about a week or so after he'd come back when he couldn't take it anymore. That day, he yelled at him, nearly causing himself another attack. He'd yelled at him. "I'm not made of fucking glass, Severus! I won't break if you get too close. If I need to stop because of my chest, I'll fucking tell you . Don't treat me like I'm going to break if you do anything. We haven't even been out on a real date!" Harry felt even worse because he had gotten Severus a nice Christmas present, a very nice present. However, the potions master had relented after that.
That night, Harry had kicked Hermione out. She'd called Draco and asked him if he wanted to go out that night. Of course, he said yes. The two of them had only had brief lunches. She hadn't seen much of him at all because she'd been too busy taking care of him. He felt very guilty, so this was as much for her as it was for himself. Unfortunately, she had to cook. Luckily, she was a decent cook. Severus had come over, and they actually spent some time together - hours in fact. It was very nice not to have to worry about Severus rushing off.
They also kissed, a few times, actually, and this time, Severus didn't worry about pushing Harry away because he was afraid that he would hurt him. Harry had to stop him, and that was all right. He was the one who was injured, but he didn't want to be shut off from everything or everyone. He left that night, leaving Harry feeling quite good, considering the circumstances. Hermione had a good time, too, judging by the smile on her face.
As for Severus's Christmas present - Harry almost didn't know what to get him. The man was notoriously hard to shop for. It wasn't until Hermione happened to shove the paper over at him that he noticed an ad for the Annual International Potions Masters Symposium. He asked Hermione about it, and she explained that it was the largest potions symposium in the world - very elite, and only the best Masters got in. She had also heard that it was very expensive, which was the reason for why it was so elite. This year, it was held in Venice, Italy.
Harry almost didn't buy Severus a ticket. He knew the man would never warrant spending that much money on himself, but it was something that Harry knew he would love. So, he did it anyway, against his better judgement. He almost bought himself a ticket but felt that would be presumptuous. The symposium wasn't until July , right around Harry's birthday, in fact. It was also a week and a half long. They had just managed to get together. He wasn't going to ruin that by getting himself a ticket and inviting himself along. If Severus asked him to come, that would be different.
There was no guarantee of that, though.
Hermione had gotten Draco a book about the history of potions and alchemy. She had decided to go to her parents for Christmas, so they were going to spend a quiet evening together. She had been invited to the Weasley's of course, but considering the fact that she and Ron's engagement had dissolved… Well, she knew that they would be a bit sore, especially since she had moved on - to Draco Malfoy, of all people. None of that meant anything good for her relationship with the Weasley's, so she opted out this year. Harry, of course, couldn't go, which meant he was spending Christmas alone. After all, he wasn't allowed to get out of bed yet.
The thing was that Harry didn't want to spend Christmas alone.