Hi guys!
I'm sorry for the delay posting the chapter, but I'm studying for my final exams and I don't have a lot of time right now. Probably, I won't post another chapter until I've finished the exams. The last exam is the 19th of May, so if I pass everything I'll post another chapter the 19th or the 20th.
Thanks for reading and for your review, I always love reading them, even if I don't have time to answer all of them.

Chapter 5

Previously

I get up and I go to the bathroom to have a shower and see if it helps me to feel better; but after half an hour I decide that it's not going to help. I put on my clothes and I decide to have breakfast here. I'm not hungry and I don't want Dumbledore to suspect I'm ill. But mainly I don't want to go there because the last thing I want is to see Harry playing with the boy and all the toys that I'm sure he has given him for Christmas.

I walk to the living room and I see a green box with a ribbon and a small package with a card on it near the firewhiskey bottle that Albus gives me every year. The Headmaster was generous this year. I'm sure it's because he thinks I'm depressed. Well, I'm depressed, but he has no need to know when there is nothing he can do.

Maybe the presents aren't from Dumbledore, and someone has sent them to hurt me. I check them and they are safe; so they must be for Dumbledore. I decide that I'll have breakfast first, and then I'll open the presents. After eating some porridge and taking a pepper up potion, I go to open the presents.

I take the card, but it's not from Dumbledore, it's from Harry.

SS

Professor Snape, I wanted to apologise for my wrong manners towards you during all this years. I know that your help has been essential for winning the war. I also wanted to thank you for my lack of detentions. I know you could have given me 4 detentions at least, but you didn't do it so I could spend more time with little Severus. I got two things for you since I wasn't sure about the first one (the box with the ribbon). Little Sev loved it, and I thought you'd be happy to have it, but please, don't hesitate to give it away to Minerva if you don't like it. I'm almost sure that you'd like the second one, but again, don't feel forced to keep it, you can leave this one in the library if you don't want it. Merry Christmas, Harry.

With my hands trembling and my stomach tied up in knots, I open the box. A beautiful white kitten is looking at me with two enormous green eyes. I once had a cat when I was a kid, and I loved it. I pick the little one up and she cuddles again my chest purring. In the box, there is a drawing of the cat, made by little Severus, that says: "Her name is April, take care of her, please."

The blue package contains the first edition of a potions book. I had heard about this one, they said there were only 20 copies of it, and it's extremely expensive.

I go to the sofa with the little ball of fur and the precious book and I cry until I fall asleep. Nobody had done nothing like that for me.

When I wake up I'm feeling horrible, I'm lightheaded and cold and I can't breathe properly. I ask an elf to bring food for April and I send Albus a note telling him I'm not going to eat lunch with them. I put wards around my chambers and the floo so nobody can disturb me and somehow I reach my room and I climb into bed.

…

The next time I wake up I hear voices, I'm not alone.

"…didn't think about that. But it's obvious, he felt what little Severus felt. Something new about Poppy?" I recognise that voice, I've heard it before, but everything is blurry in my mind. Who is he?

"No, my boy, she said she trusts you to take care of him." I recognise that voice too.

"All right, Hermione is in our common room, can you give her the list of potions I need?" It's Harry! But what's that about Granger and the potions?

"Yes Harry, I will. Take care of him." Albus? Take care of who?

"I will."

…

Merlin, I've fallen sleep again. What's happening to me? Ugh! I feel horrible!

"Professor." "Professor Snape." I open my eyes. Harry is here.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asks. I look at him.

"Where is the boy?" I ask in a rough voice.

"With his mum, well, your mum. Drink this." He says handing me a vial. I do it, I smell fever reducer with something else.

"Why? He needed you." I say, and he hands me another potion. I drink it too. Dreamless sleep potion.

"No, he needed his mum." He answers taking the empty vial from my hand.

"No, no, he needed you." I say again.

"No Severus, you need me, and I'm here. The little boy needed his mum and he's with her. Sleep now, I won't leave." Is the last thing I hear before closing my eyes.

...

Albus is in a chair next to my bed the next time I open my eyes. I'm still very congested but the headache is almost gone.

"Harry." I say

"Hello my boy, how are you feeling?" Albus says.

"Harry." I say again. Albus points to the other side of the bed and I see Harry sleeping in an armchair with April in his lap.

"I told him to sleep a bit, he has been up all night." Albus says, and I frown.

"Today it's 26th, Harry has been taking care of you since yesterday evening. I came after lunch so he could take a nap." He says.

"What happened?" I ask.

"The 20th little Severus decided to have a little adventure and go to Hagrid's Hut. He got pneumonia. Harry took him to Poppy next morning and after a day in her care he was healed. We suspect that you got the pneumonia too, like you got his wounds for example. You should have gone to Poppy." He explains.

"Why is Potter here?" I ask, hoping he doesn't remember I've just called him Harry.

"No need to change his name now, Severus." Dammit! "Harry stayed to take care of you. You had a lot of nightmares tonight. I was here when you were having one. Harry said it was because of the fever. You also had some coughing fits, you scared us a lot when you couldn't breathe." He says.

"You were very attached to Harry. When I came this morning, you were clinging to him like little Severus did. Harry said you fell asleep like that after your last nightmare." Albus says with that bloody twinkle in his eyes. My face flushes.

"I was sick and delirious; you can hardly blame me for thinking he was another person." I say grumpily.

"Oh, of course Severus, you were ill, but you knew that the person who was taking care of you was Harry. I remember you clearly called his name and told him not to leave you." Albus says smiling. And before I can think a cutting remark he adds: "You should sleep now Severus, you need to rest." And he leaves the room smiling. I look at Harry and I fall asleep listening to his rhythmic breathing.