A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! I couldn't get an update for the others ready in time, so I wanted to make sure to give you something to read! Thank you all for the reviews!

-8-

"Severus."

The wizard lifted his eyes from the floor to meet her concerned gaze. "What?"

Hermione offered him a small smile and slipped her hand over his. She could feel his anxiety radiating off of him in waves, and she knew that were he able to, he would be presently pacing the width of the examination room. "You don't need to worry so much."

He sighed deeply and then scowled at his cane. "And what if they can't do anything? What if this is just a colossal waste of time, coming here just to be gawked at, pointed to, whispered about, and then sent away."

"They'll be able to help," she replied, squeezing his hand. "You just have to trust them."

When he snorted disdainfully, the witch rested her head on his shoulder.

"If you can't manage that, then trust me. I can feel it."

Severus exhaled slowly and rubbed his forehead. "We've been sitting here for nearly an hour."

"I'm sure they had to fetch the specialist," the woman hypothesized. "It is the week-end. He likely wasn't scheduled."

"Well, they –"

The door opened suddenly to admit a greying wizard in lime green robes. "Good morning. I'm Cornelius Forthwright. You are obviously Ms. Granger. I believe we spoke briefly at the last Memorial."

"Yes, I remember," Hermione nodded, shaking his hand.

"And you, sir…" The Healer gave an astonished sigh as he heartily took hold of Snape's hand. "I can honestly say that I never expected to have the chance to speak with you. It is truly an honor, sir. I apologize for having kept you waiting this long – I was visiting my daughter in Gloucester, and frankly I first thought Sinclair was taking the piss when she Floo-ed me."

"I understand completely," the witch smirked, though her paramour remained silent. "I couldn't believe my own eyes at first."

Forthwright nodded in understanding and then conjured a third chair for himself. "Well, then… if everything my daughter mentioned regarding her time in your classroom is accurate, I know that you would prefer it if we get to the point. I can personally attest that you have not received attention for Nagini's wounds here at St. Mungo's, but have you been treated elsewhere?"

Taking in a deep breath, Severus shook his head and then provided an abbreviated version of the past seven years.

"And you say Narcissa Malfoy was the one to stabilize you?"

"Yes, that is what I was told."

There was a brief flash of pride in the Healer's expression. "Narcissa trained under me for a year or so until she decided to marry and start a family. She was always rather competent, so I'm not surprised that she was capable of keeping your heart pumping. If anyone could figure it out, it would be her."

"Erm," Hermione cleared her throat and straightened in her chair. "Do you mind if I ask how?"

"Oh, of course," Forthwright smiled. "We haven't had many chances in which to study Nagini's effects, so when encountering her victims, it certainly was a lesson in trial and error. What we've discovered is that the lethality of her bites is not due to the venom so much as it is to the blood loss caused by the bite itself. You see, her saliva was infused with a magical property that prevents all manner of healing, and while the effect does diminish over time allowing for gradual healing of a wound, a victim would generally bleed out long before that point."

Grimacing, the witch cast a nervous glance in the former spy's direction and found him again with an unreadable expression.

"However," the Healer continued, "if one is able to continuously make up for the blood being lost over the course of a few days, the blood will begin to clot again, and the wound can be healed. The venom, of course, will still continue to wreak havoc with the nervous system, causing pain and paralysis, but the patient stands a fair chance of survival. At this point antivenin can be introduced to clear away some of the venom and relieve those symptoms. It is safe to say that Narcissa got you to the point where she could cease the bleeding, but either had no access to antidote or was interrupted before she could administer it."

"Will it do any good to administer it now?" Severus asked quietly. "It's been years."

"I think it will," he stated confidently. "Obviously, your body has been trying to heal itself naturally, which is why you've made progress, however slow it may have been. That venom, though, is almost as stubborn you seem to be. I did not realize that the first time around and have had to treat the patients with a series of antivenin instead of a single dose."

The dark-haired wizard eyed him with uncertainty. "How many victims actually survived long enough for you to treat?"

"Counting you?" Forthwright replied with a strange smirk. "Three."

"Arthur Weasley," he muttered and then frowned.

"And Harry," Hermione added, knowing that the wizard was likely sorting through a list of possible victims in his head.

Snape looked to her in surprise. "Potter was bitten?"

"Yes. In Godric's Hollow, at Christmas," she replied. "It wasn't a very large bite, since Nagini was trying to hold him for Voldemort instead of trying to kill him. I managed to heal him with dittany, but neither of us thought anything more of it until several months after the Final Battle. His arm started feeling like it was on fire and would, at times, seize up on him. We actually couldn't figure it out until Arthur mentioned he had been having similar symptoms. I knew they received treatment here, but I didn't really pay that close of attention to what it was."

"I find that rather hard to believe," the Slytherin quipped.

His witch snorted quietly and rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, when one is going into labor, one generally tends not to concern herself so much with details about other people."

"I see," he murmured, somewhat sheepishly, before returning his eyes to the Healer. "What must be done then?"

"Firstly, I have a few standard assessments to make, and after that, we can go ahead and start the first antivenin treatment. I won't lie to you, sir… it isn't pleasant. Once you ingest the antivenin potion, it will work its way through your body drawing out any of the venom it can find. The action will cause similar symptoms to what you have already experienced since it will essentially be reintroducing the venom to your body, but it should pass after a few hours' time. Likely, you will feel sickly and feverish for the remainder of the day, but with any luck, shall feel far better tomorrow than you have in a long while."

Taking in a deep breath, Hermione could not help but smile as she briefly pressed her forehead into his shoulder.

"Depending on the damage already done, we may not be able to get you back to pristine condition," Healer Forthwright commented, "but we can certainly make life a fair deal easier for you."

Severus nodded slowly and tightened his hold on her hand. "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting another miracle."

"Perhaps we can manage half a miracle," the Healer smiled. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward in his chair. "Now, if you could tell me about your present condition… I notice you appear to have some difficulties in walking – are other aspects as challenging?"

The wizard shrugged solemnly. "Everything's a bit slower. Moving my arms is not as difficult as I've had more time to… practice, I guess. I don't feel the same level of pain with that any longer, but any motion of my legs is accompanied by prickling or burning sensations."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione whispered, drawing away from him in concern. "I didn't mean to harm you at all."

Her lover placed his hand on her thigh and shook his head. "I could manage it."

"And the level of pain?" Forthwright asked. "On a scale of one to ten, with one being no pain at all and ten being –"

"The Cruciatus?" Snape interrupted with a dark smirk. "I would say it's a consistent five with periodic bursts of eights."

As the witch winced, the Healer gave a professional nod. "Have you attempted anything more strenuous than walking about?"

The Slytherin gave a slow nod. "Stairs. The pain was closer to a seven or eight then, but it was more difficult going up than coming down."

"Always is," Forthwright sighed gently. "Anything else?"

Hermione guiltily glanced up at her wizard and then stared at him pointedly when he attempted to shake his head. "Severus."

He flicked his eyes to her briefly, but otherwise ignored her implied instruction.

"Severus," she hissed. When he only shook his head again, the woman rolled her eyes and faced the Healer who was eyeing them with a curious expression. "What he is neglecting to mention is that we had sex early this morning."

"I see," the man smirked. "And how was that?"

Her cheeks burned while his eyes hardened into a glare.

"Pain-wise, I meant," Forthwright quickly clarified as he held up a hand. "I don't need to know anything else."

Her stomach twisted anxiously as she waited for the response. Though he refused to say anything on the subject, she could discern the truth simply through his silence. Pinching her eyes closed briefly, she covered her face with her hands. "Gods, Severus. I'm so sorry!"

"Well, you shouldn't be," he muttered softly. "I'm certainly not."

"But it hurt you!"

Snape shrugged. "I was aware of the consequences."

Hermione shook her head. "You should have said something. We shouldn't have done that. I should have brought you here last night instead of waiting. I knew you were in pain, but I just... I wasn't thinking rationally. Severus –"

"Perhaps we might discuss this later?" he whispered.

"It's alright," the Healer stated. "Believe me, I understand. If I had been kept apart from my wife for years, you can bet all the gold in Gringotts that medical care would not be at the top of my priority list."

The witch rolled her eyes as her lover gave her a pointed look, and then rubbed her forehead as she sighed, "Men."

Forthwright gave a small smile as he watched the exchange and then quickly carried out a few diagnostic charms. Once he had finished jotting down the details, he leaned forward and cleared his throat. "Sir, if you're ready to proceed, we can. Otherwise, we can certainly schedule another day if you would prefer."

Without a moment's hesitation, Snape shook his head. "I would prefer to go ahead with it today."

"Alright," the Healer nodded, standing from his chair. "You'll want to lie down for this, of course. I'll just need a few minutes to prep the antivenin, and then we can get started. It will likely take a few hours to clear, so I would suggest making use of the loo beforehand."

As the Slytherin did as suggested, Hermione sat silently in her chair for a few minutes while she tried to calm her anxiety. When she heard the faucet running, she stood and folded her arms, nibbling on her bottom lip until the door to the private lavatory opened again. She watched the wizard amble unevenly to the bed and then cleared her throat. "Severus, are you sure you're ready for this?"

The man slowly nodded after sitting upon the edge of the bed. "I just want to get on with life. It shall not be any easier if I delay."

"No, of course not," she sighed, reaching for his hand.

Severus wrapped his fingers around hers and met her eyes. "If this is going to take as long as he says, I don't want to waste your day."

"You aren't wasting anything," the witch chastised. "I won't leave you alone."

"If you need to be with Brendan…"

Hermione shook her head and pulled a chair a few inches closer. "Brendan will be fine. Harry's agreed to keep him as long as we need."

Exhaling deeply, the wizard slipped his hand from hers so that he could swing his long legs onto the bed.

"Unless you would prefer it if I left?"

His eyes snapped to hers, and he shook his head at the question. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when the door opened.

"Alright, sir," Healer Forthwright greeted quietly, closing the door behind him. He held up a flask of dark green liquid as he crossed the short distance of the room. "If you're ready, I am."

Hermione stepped out of the way while the potion was administered. When the Healer had finished giving instructions and had moved to take a seat in the corner of the room several minutes later, she returned to her lover's side. Sitting down, she gathered up his hand in both of hers and gave him a smile. "Everything's going to be alright."

"You seem awfully sure of yourself," he murmured.

"I gave up on hope once," she replied honestly. "I won't do it again."

A brief smile toyed at his lips as he squeezed his fingers around hers, but faded a moment later when he laid his head back against the pillow.

"Are you alright?" she asked in concern.

Grimacing, the wizard nodded. "I'm fine."

The woman pinched her lips into a thin line as she scooted the chair as close to the edge of the bed as she could. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He drew in a pained breath and closed his eyes. "Just… keep talking… please."

"Okay," she nodded vigorously. Resting her forearms on the mattress, she leaned forward and tucked his hand against her chest. "Anything in particular? Because you know perfectly well just how capable I am of inane chatter."

Severus snorted softly under his breath and then shook his head. "Anything will do. I just want… to hear your voice."

"Well, I'm glad to know someone cares for it," the witch smirked. "Alright, shall I tell you about Brendan, then?"

At his affirmative grunt, she quietly, but enthusiastically, launched into a detailed account of anything regarding their son that happened to pop into her head. She told him about all of the typical milestones – first words, first steps, first signs of magic – the boy's preferences – foods, books, activities – and a few of the more interesting memories she had accrued over the past six years. Though she could see that he was tensing up in pain and his color was increasingly worsening, she continued talking in the hopes that she was giving him something positive on which he could focus. Only when Healer Forthwright stepped in to cast a monitoring charm and ask a few questions of the patient did she cease.

Hermione inhaled sharply and felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes when her wizard admitted being presently unable to control any of his limbs. Worried that perhaps she could be causing him some sort of injury, she gently laid his hand back against the bed and placed hers atop it. While the Healer continued his inquiry, she squeezed her lover's hand and closed her eyes.

"Hermione?"

Her eyelids immediately flew open, and she vaguely noted that Forthwright had returned to his seat before clearing her throat. "Yes?"

A heavy breath escaped the prone man. "You're still there."

"Of course, I am," she replied, glancing down in concern. "You can't feel my hand?"

"N-no." He shook his head and swallowed slowly. "Just… fire."

"Fire?" the witch repeated, yanking her hands away from him. "I'm sorry, Severus! I didn't mean to make it worse."

"No," he corrected with a grimace. "Not… your fault."

Hermione hesitantly touched two fingertips to the side of his pinkie finger and then wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Is it very bad?"

"Not as bad," the wizard ground out through gritted teeth. "Will be done… far sooner."

When she remained silent, he added, "I can hear you worrying."

"I don't like seeing you in pain," she whispered.

"You do not need to –"

"Severus, I'm not leaving you," she interrupted. "I didn't bring you here so I could make you go through this alone again."

There was a relatively long pause before he murmured, "Is Brendan… a family name?"

A small grin managed its way onto her face as the witch accepted the change in subject. "In a manner of speaking."

His eyebrows narrowed in concentration, and a chuckle escaped her as she explained. "I had no idea what to name him for the longest time. It wasn't something I had thought about at all before then. I only knew that Dad had made me promise never to name any of his grandchildren anything as common as his name because he had always hated being one of a million 'John's… and I figured you might haunt me for the rest of time if I made 'Severus' his first name."

When he snorted in agreement, she tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "Anyway, I spent ages pouring through books of names and diplomatically shooting down everyone else's suggestions. I had a sizable list of possibilities, but when I decided finally to look at the meanings of the names, I knew Brendan was the right choice."

"Oh?"

"It means 'prince'."

Snape very slowly raised his head as his eyelids fluttered open for the first time in nearly an hour. His mouth parted as his bloodshot eyes fixed themselves upon her face. "You… both of his names?"

"After you? Yes." Hermione smiled and gently slipped her fingers through his unresponsive ones. "I would have given him your surname, too, but the Ministry apparently does not allow unwed mothers to do such a thing without explicit consent from the father."

"I am sorry…"

"It isn't your fault, Severus. It –" Her statement died away in her throat when he gave an agonized groan and his head suddenly fell back to the pillow. Launching to her feet, she felt panic surge through her system at seeing his somewhat labored breathing. "Severus!"

The witch glanced fearfully to the Healer who had appeared at the bedside. Forthwright calmly executed a number of monitoring charms and then gave her a reassuring look. "He'll be alright. The antivenin has drawn enough venom out of his tissues that his voluntary system has shut down temporarily. His autonomic functions, though, are and should remain quite stable, which is good. Once the potion has had the chance to clear out some of the venom, he should gradually become more capable of speech and movement, and the pain will continuously diminish."

"Okay," she whispered, eyeing Severus. "Can he… is he conscious?"

The Healer frowned in consideration and folded his arms. "In and out, more than likely."

"Would he be able to hear me?"

"Possibly," he shrugged.

Hermione nodded slowly and then took in a deep breath. Gesturing to the opposite side of the bed where there was more open space, the witch asked, "Do you think I could...?"

Forthwright smiled and stepped backwards. "It certainly won't do him any harm, so by all means…"

"Thank you," she murmured. After patting Snape's hand, she quickly rounded the end of the bed and then crawled onto the stiff mattress. Stretching out alongside the wizard, she propped her head up with one hand and brushed a few strands of hair out of his face with the other.

"Hi, Severus," she greeted quietly, pressing her lips lightly to his temple. "I don't know whether or not you can hear me, but if you can… Know that I am here with you. I will not leave you this time. I will still be here when you wake up; I promise you this. The pain will go away… we will go home… and we will get through this together. Okay?"

A small smile dawned on her face as she gently traced her fingers over his cheek. "I am going to fuss and fret over you until you snap at me about not requiring a nursemaid. And then, quite simply, I will ignore you and continue doing so anyway because I love you. I love you, and will never leave you unless you ask me to. And even then, I will only do so if I feel the request is sincere.

"I really do hope you can hear me," she sighed before resting her head against his shoulder. "Because I think it's something you need to know."