A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay this has been done for so long I just kept adding to it... So yeah it's long… Hope you enjoy.
I don't own anything.
Immediately Dumbledore was at the Potion Masters side. Upon noting the destruction that his temporary loss of self control had inflicted, he flicked his wand righting all the objects; however the younger man still lay on the floor. Making his way to the floo, he summoned Madam Pomfrey. A disgruntled medi-witch appeared.
"What happened again?" She blurted.
"A small mishap with my temper, the ministry will be here soon, I take it you can care for these two boys." A nod of confirmation led the headmaster to turn towards the floo. Before he stepped in he made one final wish.
"Keep me updated." Another curt nod and the headmaster left.
Snape awoke to a screaming pain in his head. He cautiously moved his fingers wondering how and why he had been transferred to his bed in his quarters when he had no recollection of doing it himself. He body was completely exhausted and he felt hollow inside, drained. He heard hushed voices outside his door.
"Magical exhaustion." Stated the first female voice. Snarling Snape recognized it as Madame Pomfrey. He moved to swing his legs to the floor but he had to stop as a bout of dizziness washed over him. He heard the other voice vaguely far away, farther than it should be. A frown furrowed its way across his brow. Something was off, very off. Forcing himself to regain his bearings Snape pushed himself off the bed. The world promptly tilted. Snape stumbled grasping for the bedside table. His vision swam and he slumped into the wall gasping, fingers searching for purchase. However funding none he slumped to the floor a low moan escaping his lips. Immediately he heard footsteps.
"Oh Severus!" Cane a cry and he saw two pairs of feet hurry to a stop next to his head. He moaned again as the room spun, he turned his head lethargically to glance under the bed and back to the pairs of feet.
"Severus!" Two hands anchored his head. His eyes flickered to focus on Minerva's. She was speaking to him but the speech was garbled. Severus shook, uncomprehending. His body lurched off the ground with a shuddering gasp.
"Poppy get the restorative!" The Gryffindor was calling urgently, glancing only briefly away before returning the panicked stare of insipid eyes. Snape tried to shake his head no, he didn't want oblivion again but he felt hands lifting his head and pouring potion down his throat while he sputtered. He felt so empty so alone. Quickly blackness consumed his vision and he relaxed.
The next time he awoke however, he was not in his quarters. The pain in his head had only diminished slightly and there was still something missing. Snape shook his head, sitting up. He noticed that the dizziness was gone with a good portion of the weakness he had felt. This time Snape made it quickly to do the door, which was cracked open. He pulled the door open, to find a short hallway with two other doors and a stairwell. The furthest door opened and McGonagall and Pomfrey both came out in hurried conversation. Snape cleared his throat to make his presence known.
"Ah, Severus." Came the calm reply from the taller witch. However he was met with a bustling shorter witch reprimanding him.
"You should be in bed recuperating!" Came the sharp order. Snape attempted to hold his ground but found himself the brunt end of two fierce glares. Grumbling he took a step back into the room and to the unfamiliar bed. He lay down and allowed the medi-witch to flutter about trying to assess his 'condition' and some such. Only with minimal dismissal naturally. Finally when the witch had stopped fussing over him did Severus start to ask questions. He had enough dealings with the woman to not ask a second too soon or he would get less information in a longer period of time then if he was just patient.
"Poppy-" He started but was met with a harsh glare. He swallowed not out if fear but respect. "Why am I here?" He decided to start small.
"After your...visitation, with Albums you should be in the hospital wing but that ghastly excuse of a witch came trapezing in with half the Aurors hunting for a harbored fugitive. We had to move you before they could convict you of giving Harry that horrid drug."
Snape swallowed harshly again.
"And the Potter boy?" Snape's voice was rough and he felt sleep creeping in again.
"He is just across the hall."
"Where?" Severus mustered, barely. However Poppy understood, she had much experience with the boy. Well, man now.
"Minerva's personal quarters. We will need to move you quickly, once you've stabilized enough. But sleep now Severus." The medi-witch placed a soft hand on his forehead and Snape needed no more prodding. His eyes fluttered shut, mouth twitching up at the corners with the unexpected comfort. To Poppy's trained eye it only attested to how sick the man really was.
What seemed like a few minutes later, Snape was being roused from his sleep.
"You must go now." a voice whispered. A cool object was placed into his palm, a few words mumbled and Severus was spiraling out of the room. He landed in a heap rather ungracefully at the feet of the Headmaster. He moaned, exhausted yet again. He felt the gentle caress of magic levitate him before he succumbed to sleep again.
When he awoke again the pain in his head was gone, and other than slight fatigue, he felt perfectly normal. Immediately he pushed himself off of what to his horror ended up being a horrendously overstuffed purple couch. Snape snarled at the offending object and preceded his plight to a more suitable spot. He had barely made it across the room when he felt rather than heard Albums enter.
"Headmaster." Curt and to the point.
"My boy, up and about I see, gave us quite a quandary for a while there. But none the less, how do you feel." The voice was gentle but Snape bristled at the question.
"I would've felt much better if I hadn't slept on a large overstuffed eggplant picked out by an old man." Severus snapped his frustration rising. He had turned by this point and was increasingly peeved by the twinkle in said old man's eye. Not letting his anger get the best of his Snape turned on his heel. Amid his flurry of robes he kicked something hard. Cursing mildly under his breath he looked down noting with disdain it was the boy's bloody trunk. A pile of books slipped from the top and crashed to the ground. Snarling the Potions Master picked them up carefully, placing them in a pile atop the small trunk. He noticed on particular tone had escaped his scrutiny, hidden under the book self. He knelt recognizing it as a first year potion text. The cover had fallen back and notes scrawled across the page. He made out words, phrases really. "Stopper in death" stood out amid the haze of illegible writing. He froze. The first lesson. Potter had been taking notes...
He had always wondered why his colleagues raved about the boy-who-lived and his school work. Snape had never himself seen it. He felt and had pat his shoulder as Dumbledore passed and he quickly placed the book in the pile as if it had burned his fingers. The boy's work was dismal at best, his summer work was always rushed, obviously the product of last minute cramming. Severus reassured himself. No, that must've been the notes of another student. But there was no denying Potter's messy scrawl or the fact that he was the only student writing during that first class in ANY of Snape's classes, ever. He snarled, attempting to banish any thoughts but he couldn't stop the nagging guilt. He followed Albums into the kitchen and threw himself into a kitchen chair. The room was much a small cottage, lacy frills around the windows and jars adorning open selves. The windows were moderately sized and overlooked rolling fields and sparse trees. Snape grumbled at the stereotypical serenity with the birds singing through the windows and a soft breeze tousling the tablecloth gently.
"Not a morning person Severus?" Severus just held his hand out for Dumbledore to place the steaming cup of coffee in.
"Not since you blew my magic halfway to Merlin and back." Snape snarled, huddling over his cup.
"I do apologize for my slight loss of temper."
"Slight." Snape spat into his coffee before talking a long draw. Instantly he felt better.
"How is the boy?" Severus's voice was much softer however he still sneered at the thought of the boy.
. However, Dumbledore's face grew somber.
"He is still entwined heavily in the warmweed. After you came in yesterday he seemed dazed." Severus almost laughed at that revelation.
"That is what warmweed tends to do." He replied. Dumbledore merely shook his head.
"Maybe you should see for yourself..." Dumbledore led the reluctant professor down the hallway. To the left of the only two doors in the hall. Dumbledore motioned for Severus to proceed but hung back himself. Snape pushed open the door quietly to see the Potter boy lying in bed staring at the ceiling, eyes fogged over. The boy was sweating in fever; his eyes were foggy and unfocused.
"Have you given him a fever reducer?" Severus snapped appalled at the condition the boy was in.
"Yes just before you woke." Dumbledore was still in the doorway. Severus glanced between him and his golden-boy. The strange situation had his lip curling. Snape ran a diagnostic charm which read a fever of 41°. He muttered under his breath but his shoulders finally slumped in resignation.
"He will have to come with me to Snape Manor for proper treatment. I believe Poppy's hands are bound with this." He was met with a nod from the doorway.
Snape then prepared the boy for travel. It didn't take much but he was musing over the fact that the boy who lived was coming with him to Snape Manor his private residence, by invitation. Finally Snape lifted the boy gently from the bed. Cradling him tightly to his chest. With a nod to the headmaster who was still outside the room he apparated.
Severus landed ungracefully, his knees jarring on impact. He hit the ground. Snarling under the weight of the boy, he checked to make sure Harry had not been spliced before standing again. His magic was still exhausted and Snape was finding his muscles growing weaker. He lifted the boy again, noting yet again how the bones prodded uncomfortably against his own slight frame. Pushing those thoughts to the back if his mind the duo proceeded to the manor that loomed over them on a slight hill. The area was practically crackling with magic and the wards Dumbledore had so tediously set up. His house was the only place just as safe as Hogwarts, apart from Grimwald place which was equally as protected. Once inside Severus was bombarded by his house elf Tizzy. She was wringing her hands nervously.
"Oh! Master is not well! Not well at all!" She squeaked. "Master needs to sit!" She snapped her fingers and a chair was procured. Severus took it gratefully still clutching Harry tightly. He felt a small hand on his. He looked up sharply.
"Tizzy takes the young master now." Severus nodded dumbly as the house elf gently levitated Harry away from him. Severus felt himself drifting and snapped his eyes open. He stood with difficulty, swaying slightly. As soon as he regained his balance Tizzy was at his elbow. She held a vial. Pepper-up potion. He took it gratefully, downing it in one go.
"Thank you." He said and he walked to the hallway that led to Harry's temporary room in the guest quarters. The house elf however stopped him.
"The young master's upstairs across from master's own rooms." Severus looked at her confused. Tizzy always took guests to the guest quarters unless otherwise specified. He pondered why she had brought Harry upstairs. He wanted the boy up there for monitoring anyway but he had not shared that thought. He gave a curt nod and changed his pace to the stairs. Harry had indeed been situated in the room across the hall. Severus pushed the door open softly. Harry was clad in silk pajamas but left on top of the covers to not overheat. Severus ran another diagnostic charm, 41.4°. A soft swear under breath. Snape then conjured cool flannels and packed ice, placing them around the boy. Soft moans emanated from the bed and Severus felt like he was pacing on the inside, totally unsure what to do.
"No." The boy moaned, tossing his head back and forth. "Noooooooooo." It was still quiet but growing in intensity and desperation.
"Please…" Severus froze at the pain in Harry's voice. "Please. No." If Severus had've been a slight way away from the bed, further than he was, he wouldn't of heard the next plea that sent a chill down his spine.
"Uncle." No. The Potter boy was hallucinating from fever. Right?
DUH DUH DUHHHHHHHHHH. Yeah not much of a cliffe but next update soon. MORE REVIEWS HELP THE POSTS COMING!