Dumbledore burst through the double doors into the infirmary with Hermione trailing at his heels. "Poppy, what's wrong with Harry?" Dumbledore said walking briskly to the young man's side.
"Nothing a few dreamless sleeps, pain potions and rest won't cure. Though Severus took care of most of the work for me." Poppy motioned to the professor who was gripping Harry's limp hand, tears falling down his face, praying to Merlin that Harry was alright. Dumbledore nodded to Poppy, who ushered Hermione out of the room, then set a firm hand on Severus' shoulder.
Severus looked up with tear tracks down his cheeks. "Albus, when did you arrive?" Severus asked curiously.
"Just a few moments ago. Perhaps we should talk, my boy." Dumbledore began to walk to a table with some tea on the other side of the room.
Severus stood up and let go of Harry's hand. "I'll be right back, love." Severus said as he pushed the young man's wild hair away and kissed him gently on the forehead, and then walked to where the Headmaster was seated.
"Needless to say I was quite surprised when Ms. Granger burst through my door in the middle of the night. As you might guess, I have a few questions." Dumbledore looked at Severus over his small glasses, eyes twinkling wildly.
"Of course, Albus."
"Ms. Granger told me everything that happened tonight in the Room of Requirements, and how she admitted you, but she was unable to tell me what it was, exactly, that set young Harry off."
"Well, your new Defense teacher felt the need to barge in my office tonight, which sparked an argument between Harry, Lupin, and myself. Lupin said some rather unkind things to Harry, who then took off to that ridiculous room!"
"And what was it that he said exactly?" Dumbledore wondered.
"I believe that it began once Lupin called me a 'freak', but escalated once Lupin said something about even Black being ashamed of the decisions he has made." Severus answered crossing his arms in front of his chest, the desire to run out and attack the wolf overwhelming.
"And what decision would that be?" the headmaster wondered.
"Harry and I have recently begun a relationship. We had just finished discussing it, and how we were going to inform you of it in a few days time, when Lupin barged in my room in a slightly compromising position." Severus tinged red with anger at the mere memory. Dumbledore however tinged only the slightest pink, and that was only to those who were looking.
"Hahaa. Congratulations, my boy!" Dumbledore exclaimed as his hands came together in a single clap.
"Excuse me?" Severus asked dumbfounded
"Harry has liked you for quite some time now, though he never told me as much. Had I known that you were returning your feelings or even having that conversation, I would have told Remus to retire for the night. As it stands though, since I was under the influence that he was taking extra potions classes to help his grade, I urged Remus to go and surprise Harry since he had arrived to the castle early. I apologize."
Severus was baffled, he expected Albus to be slightly off put by the difference in age, or the fact that Harry was still a student, but Albus was happy for them? All the easier for the two of us, he supposed.
"There is no need to apologize, Albus." Severus said looking away uncomfortably.
"So," The headmaster said picking up his tea cup. "How much do you actually know about Harry?"
"Is that a subtle way of asking whether of not I am aware of his glamour?" Severus said picking up his tea cup in return.
"It was, though apparently not as subtle as I hoped." Dumbledore chuckled.
"It was actually that very matter that got us together, though I will allow Harry to tell you the exact story. It is a bit too Gryffindor for my tastes, though I was surprised that he was willing to sit down and discus the properties of our relationship with me, I figured that he would simply dive in, as he too often does." Severus said with a smirk that, he hoped, hid his fondness of the young man.
"Leave it to you, Severus, to do something as unromantic as discussing a relationship before agreeing to it." Dumbledore said laughingly
"What, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"
"I simply mean that you are lucky that Harry was willing to do that at all. He is a hormonal 17 year old, you are lucky that you could even get him to sit still before snogging your brains out." Albus set his tea down, unable to hold it still through his intense roars of laughter.
"Albus!" Severus all but yelled, face beet red with embarrassment.
"Haaahaa. Forgive me, my boy, but it is true." Albus said before reining control of his laughter.
"Perhaps." Severus said wondering if he had been acting a bit too…Slytherin.
"Perhaps you should do something a little bit Gryffindor for him." Albus winked as he got up from his chair
"What do you mean?" Severus inquired
"A home cooked dinner by candle light, perhaps. Or since you have already asked for Ms. Granger's advice once, you could always do it again." Albus was interrupted as both men heard a groan coming from Harry's bed. Albus hurried over only to be beaten there by a running Snape.
"Harry, how are you feeling?" Snape asked sitting on the edge of the bed, holding one hand while stroking Harry's warm forehead with the other slim hand.
"Mmm, sore, tired, nightmare." Harry said as he noticed the Headmaster for the first time. "Albus? What are you doing here?"
"I came to see how you are doing, Harry, and to say that I am sorry. The old often don't realize that they are asking so much of the young."
"Sorry? For what? You haven't done anything."
"Perhaps not directly, but I fear I may have put too much stress on you about the prophecy." Albus looked to the floor in shame.
"Albus…" Harry began "It was not the prophecy that brought me to the infirmary, you have nothing to worry about." Harry looked into his mentor's eyes. "So, I take it that Severus told you about our relationship?"
"Yes, Harry. How did you know?" Snape asked curiously.
"Hehe," Harry barked out a laugh. "Because his eyes only twinkle like that when he knows some sort of information that no one else knows."
Severus looked at Albus who burst out into laughter. "Oh, you know me too well, young Harry." Albus wiped his eye of a stray tear and stood up.
"Harry, it is late and I believe that you should get some rest. Severus, I will leave the matter of Lupin to you and Harry, since it has nothing to do with me. Though, I had better find him alive and intact for teaching in two days time."
"In two days time?" Severus inquired with a curiosity that matched the look on Harry's face.
"You boys don't think I would allow you to go back to school so quickly after this, do you? You shall take two days off. I will have Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley take notes for Harry and I will have a substitute for you Severus. Enjoy the time off my boys." Dumbledore said before closing the door to the infirmary as his eyes twinkled madly.
Severus looked down at Harry, who shifted to the edge of his bed and lay on his side. He noticed the dark circles under Harry's eyes, how even moving seemed to demand great effort; he noticed how the shivering young man pulled the thin sheet tighter around him. "Are you cold, Harry?" Severus asked before the boy simply nodded in response. Severus put a gentle hand on Harry's face "I will be right back, I promise." Harry nodded in understanding as he watched the older man disappear into a floo of green flames. Harry sighed and closed his eyes, not hearing or seeing the floo activate again as Severus stepped out.
Severus walked over to the young man and smiled at his innocent looking face as he placed a heavy green and purple quilt over him gently. Harry looked up and looked at the quilt, before looking back to Severus with an almost blindingly beautiful smile. Severus smirked "It's my favorite quilt; I use it whenever I get really bad nightmares." Severus began running his fingers through Harry's hair as he told his lover the story "My mother sewed it for me, it was my birthday gift when I was twelve. She planned it when I got my Hogwarts Letter. She was a brilliant witch, my mother, always secretly teaching me things when my muggle father wasn't looking, or when he was at work. She was so proud of me when I got my letter, she couldn't stop smiling. The next day she went out and picked out my two favorite colors of cloth to make me this quilt, but she waited until I was in school to start sewing it for me, so that it would be a surprise. It is one of the few things I have left that remind me of her. She died shortly before my 14th birthday, in a car accident. The muggle hospitals simply couldn't help her with their primitive medicine. My mother was the only person who was nice to me, until I met Lily, your mum. But, even though I still have a few trinkets that belonged to my mother, the quilt is still my favorite." Severus finished his story as he ran his fingers over the old, but still new looking cloth.
"Thank you for letting me use it, it is beautiful." Harry said looking at Severus with weary eyes.
"Get some rest, Harry, you need it." Said the older man as he ran his fingers through Harry's hair.
"Will you lie next to me?" Harry whispered afraid of the scolding or rejection that he figured he would get.
"If that is what you would like me to do?" Severus said, noticing the quick, excited nod of Harry's head, as he pulled the quilt back to allow him to slip under. Severus pulled off his shoes and slipped under the covers, wrapping Harry into his arms, and kissing him on the forehead.
"Now go to sleep, I will be here when you wake up."
"Do you promise?" Harry sleepily asked
"I promise." Severus whispered as he felt Harry drift to sleep in his arms, a smile on both men's lips.
I know it is sort of a set back-since I'm sure you all were looking foreward to Snape's confrontation with Remus- but rest assured- that will be in the next chapter! it will be glorious. I wanted to include it in this chapter-i really did- but i just couldnt get it to work in, especially with how long it's going to be. :)
Next time, my pretties, next time.
As always, Reviews are awesome!