Title: Lions and Lambs

Pairings: Harry Potter/Severus Snape

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Not mine. I have to put a disclaimer whenever I write with these characters and places.

Warnings: This chapter has not been beta'd so if there are any mistakes just review or PM and tell me.

Dedicated to: Thatsallwegot and the 4 guests who reviewed! I love you all!

Chapter 4

Treatment

The next two and a half weeks were torture for Harry. It seemed he was more nervous than Mya herself. Mya was just happy because if she was better, she would be able to play as much as she wanted without her heart hurting. Snape, keeping with his appearances, acted as if nothing was on the line so he couldn't care less. Harry might have been hysteric with nerves and anxiety, but he also had lots of anticipation and excitement. He wanted his daughter to be cured and totally healthy, but he didn't want her to be harmed in the process.

The day of the treatment had finally come. Snape had been working nonstop for the last 18 days, preparing potions, memorizing spells, and sterilizing equipment. At that moment, Snape was organizing the final details when Harry started his pacing.

"You are not going to accomplish anything by wearing a hole in my rug." Snape sneered from the other side of the room. Harry just ignored his comment and continued his path, back and forth, back and forth. Finally, Snape threw his hands up, exasperated, and stormed over to Harry.

Harry, not having noticed Snape heading his way, suddenly felt a strong hand close around his upper arm. His eyes jerked upwards to meet the black orbs glaring down at him. Harry froze at how close he and Snape were. Their noses were almost touching, and Harry's breath caught when he saw the annoyance recede in Snap's eyes only to be replaced by something kinder and much more complex. Neither moved for what seemed to be years. Harry's whole world in the moment was the black eyes that belonged to his once most hated professor.

Emerald green meeting midnight black.

Hot breath in his face.

The scent of peppermint and potion ingredients washing over him.

'I must be going crazy' Harry thought.

A magical timer going off from the other side of the room was what finally broke the trance. Snape whipped around and grabbed the timer out of the air where it was floating. "Everything's ready" Snape announced to no one in particular. "We can start the process now."

Harry bit his lip and looked around the room. There was a clean, perfect, white bed in the corner. Next to the bed were trays with multiple potions and a giant syringe. That made Harry even more nervous.

Snape nodded at Harry silently, telling him to call Mya. "Mya!" Harry called down the hall, trying and failing to keep his voice from wavering slightly. Mya came running down the hall not knowing the magnitude of what was about to take place.

"Lie down." Snape said in a softer voice then Harry had ever thought was possible. Mya quickly followed the instruction. "Drink this." Snape handed her a bright blue potion. At Harry's questioning, worried look he said quietly, "It will make her fall unconscious." Sure enough, at that moment they heard a sigh from Mya as she slipped away from the world.

"OK. This procedure needs quick and precise timing. The potion and spell combination that will heal the hole in her heart will not be effective if there is any blood in her heart. Therefore the first potion will clear her heart of blood, then you will quickly hand me my wand and that vial of reddish potion. I will finish the process and counteract the blood potion with a spell. It will be at least until tomorrow before she awakens. Lastly, she will need to take a daily potion for the next three months to be absolutely certain her heart is healed. You will, unfortunately, need to remain here during that process." Snape paused and, seeing Harry's lack of response, said, "Potter, surely even your inadequately sized brain could comprehend what I just explained."

The insult shook Harry out of his daze and he just nodded, not wanting to delay the procedure with an argument. Snape studied him for a moment, and he must have been pleased with what he found because he looked away with a satisfied expression. Snape then turned away towards the trays and picked up the giant syringe. Harry shuddered at the thought of that 6 inch needle piercing his daughter's skin and shooting a potentially lethal potion into her body. Harry was so horrified at his own thoughts; he didn't even realize Snape was trying to get his attention. Harry sheepishly gestured for Snape to continue, and the process began. First, Snape found a vein in Mya's upper arm that would carry the potion right to her heart. Next, Harry winced and looked away as Snape inserted the needle and forced the potion into her system. Almost immediately, Mya's face, arms, and legs turned red as all her blood rushed from her chest to the rest of her body.

Snape whirled around and Harry sprang into action, grabbing the red potion and Snape's worn wand. He immediately pushed the items into the awaiting hands. Harry watched in amazement as Snape's nimble finger, from years of potion making, poured the healing draught into Mya's mouth while simultaneously massaging her throat to make her swallow. He then made a sweeping gesture over her body with his wand and started to chant a spell, "Sana cor" over and over again.

This went on for what was actually only about twenty seconds, but it felt like hours upon agonizing hours to Harry, who realized he was holding his breath. Meanwhile, Snape was tense and sweating from the amount of power he had exerted for the spell to be effective. Eventually, though, he finished one spell and moved onto the counter spell for the blood potion. Finally, Snape stopped that spell also and relaxed. Seeing Snape, who was always tense, relax, calmed Harry more than he would ever admit. 'He looks so amazing when he's–" Harry shook his head frantically to get rid of his thought. 'I did NOT just think that Snape looks amazing. I mean, he's Snape! Ugly, old, greasy, nasty Snape! Who cares if he's just the right height for me to look into his eyes that are so black and deep that they could make anyone melt from one loo–" Harry was broken from his thoughts by a frantic rustling from over by Mya's bed. He looked to see Snape running over to the girl who was back to normal color but seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"What's wrong with her?" Harry called frantically, but he received no answer in return. Harry worriedly watched Snape wave his wand over his choking daughter. Suddenly a look of realization came over Snape's face. The Potion's Master made a lunge towards his potion's stores, but Harry wasn't going to let him go anywhere without giving him an explanation of what was going wrong.

Harry caught up with Snape and grabbed the professor's arm. Snape whirled around to face Harry, and Harry all but screamed, "What's happening?"

Snape swallowed thickly and said the one thing Harry was dreading, "She is having an allergic reaction to an ingredient in the blood potion. Her wind pipe is swelling to such a degree that she can't breathe. It's killing her."

AN: AHHHH *running away from an angry mob* I know I put in a cliff hanger! You all probably hate me now! Just review and I can put the next chapter up tomorrow!

Sana cor = heal the heart