This is from Anna's point of view:

I sat grading papers. I felt like I had been sitting here for hours, and there seemed to be no end in sight. Rubbing my hand against my forehead, I tried to will away the headache that I knew was coming on. Some wizarding students were so ignorant of the Muggle, and world it showed through their work. I put down my pen (I refused to work with a quill and ink) and stretched my back, earning a crack. I had a feeling it would be a long night.

"Mummy," I heard a little voice come from down the hall along with crying.

I stood quickly going to Karina; it wasn't often that she woke up crying in the middle of the night. I came into her bedroom to find Karina pale and crying.

"What's wrong baby?" I asked, kneeling down on the bed next to her.

"My body hurts," she said, crying holding out her arms to me. "Mummy."

"I'm here sweetie," I said. I took her into my arms and stood.

She felt burning up and I quickly made over to the light carrying her in my arms. I gasped as I took a look at her. She had a greenish look to her and there red dots covering her body.

"Come on sweetie. I'm taking you up to get you some medicine."

I walked swiftly towards the hospital wing not even bothering to put on my shoes. I had an idea what was wrong with her but I prayed that I was wrong. I knocked on Poppy's door hoping that she would answer quickly. I waited for several long moments before knocking gain.

"Anna?" Poppy asked. She wore her night dress and her eyes widened.

"She woke up sick," I explained.

Poppy looked at Karina, her mouth formed into a hard line.

"Follow me."

I followed her to a bed at the end of a row. I sat on the bed holding Karina in arms. She clung to me and I pushed back her hair off of her sweaty forehead. Poppy did a scan with her wand, and I saw her swallow before she wrote down information on a chart.

"Do you know what is wrong with her?" I asked, fearing the worse.

"I maybe wrong … " she said. "I want someone to double check her prognosis. I'm going to call Minerva."

Poppy left in such a hurry I was surprised. This couldn't be good at all. I rocked Karina as she started to whimper again. I hoped she'd fall asleep soon so she wouldn't have to feel the pain. I felt so scared. If my intuition was correct, I knew I would have to deal with the possibility of the unthinkable happening. I brushed a few of my tears away the thought. I would be brave for my girl.

Again time seemed to go by so slowly before Poppy returned with Minerva following behind her. Minerva did a similar scan and shared a look with Poppy.

"Mummy, where is Sev-us?" Karina's week voice called out.

"He's sleeping sweetie," I said gently to her.

"I want Sev-us." Karina started to cry and my heart broke for her.

"I'll go get him," Minerva said, she left the room quickly.

"What's going on with my daughter?" I cradled her closer to my body trying to push away my fear.

"She has dragon pox, Anna."

I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. My worst fears had been realized. Tears filled my eyes despite my best attempts to push them away.

"What are we going to do Poppy?" I opened my eyes to take in her worried face as my tears leaked down my face.

"There are remedies," she explained. "Severus will have to make some potions for her which will make her stronger to fight the illness."

"How long do you think it will take?"

"A couple of weeks to see if the potions will work," she said. "If they don't work we'll know to expect the worse."

I nodded and looked down at my little girl, my baby. I prayed that she would survive. I had my husband and best friend torn away from me. I wouldn't let the same happen to her, not if I could help it. The doors threw opened, and Severus came rushing into the room with a look in his eyes that I had never seen before.

"What's wrong?" he asked stepping up to me.

"Sev-us?" Karina said in a still week voice.

He held his arms out to her, and I gladly gave her up to him. I knew that he had a calming presence on her. She needed that while she was sick. He stood quickly and placed her head on his shoulder.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked again, his hard eyes went to Poppy.

For a brief moment I saw that man who was the death eater. This time, though, he wasn't determined to hurt others one someone else's orders. He was firm on helping my daughter get better.

"It's dragon pox, Severus," Poppy said.

"Has she had the first dose?" he asked quickly.

"I have yet to give it to her," Poppy explained. "I was giving Anna information on the illness and the treatment."

"I'll give it to her."

Poppy nodded and quickly went into her storage room.

"What's the first dose for?" I asked from the bed.

"To help with the fever," Severus explained.

His eyes held mine, and I saw he felt the same thing I did; fear. I nodded as I watched Poppy return from her storage room. Severus took the vial from her quickly.

"Karina, you need to open your mouth to take your medicine," Severus said to the barely awake girl in his arms.

"I'm so tired," she complained.

"I know," he said, looking at her with tenderness. "I promise you will be able to sleep after this."

She opened her mouth a little so that Severus was able to pour the medicine into her mouth. Half way through drinking it she started to cough. Severus quickly moved to the bed, sat down the potion bottle, and sat Katrina up. She finished coughing and took the potion back in his hand and brought it to her mouth.

"I don't like the taste of it," Karina argued.

"You must drink it," Severus said sternly.

Karina didn't argue back as Severus brought the bottle to her lips and she finished the bottle.

"Good girl," Severus said. "You can rest now."

"Will you stay with me?" she asked.

"I will."

"Mummy too?" Katrina looked for me.

"I'm right here, sweetheart," I said.

I moved closer to Severus and put my head on her forehead for comfort.

"You can sleep now," I said, kissing her head. "Sleep now."

Karina turned her body into Severus's chest and fell asleep.

"Thank you, Severus," I said, watching my daughter sleep in his arms.

"No problem," he muttered, not taking his eyes off of her face.

We sat in silence before Minerva broke it. "I will be canceling your classes, Anna, until we know something more."

"Thank you, Minerva," I said, giving her a watery smile.

"I shall check on you tomorrow."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Get better, my dear." Minerva kissed Karina's head before turning away. As she walked away she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Anna I'd like to keep her for the night here," Poppy said. "Tomorrow if she is stable you can take her back to your rooms. Severus knows enough to stay with her as she rests."

I nodded, I felt too tired to argue. I looked down at my little girl. Despair ran through me. I couldn't face it if she left me. I couldn't face losing another person I loved more than anything, not again.

"Will she be okay, Severus?" I whispered.

"She should be," he said. "Dragon pox doesn't kill many people since a cure has been found."

"I've heard stories though … of how dangerous it is to children"

"Those stories rarely happen though," he said. "You also got her help quickly which will make a difference."

I nodded feeling slightly better about the situation at hand.

"Thank you for coming, Severus," I said. "I can see why my daughter loves you."

He briefly looked at my face but didn't say anything. He then turned his body to place her under the covers. I moved so I could sit on the other side of the bed to watch over Karina. Severus took the chair opposite me and silence fell over us. As I watched my sleeping girl, I wished Alex was here. He would know what to say and do to comfort me. I hated him not being here with me.

Karina did not wake until late in the morning. We managed to get move her back to our rooms where she would be more comfortable. I still felt worried or her. She was so week and fragile looking. She hung limply in Severus' arms as he carried her to her bed. She was unusually quiet too, something that was a blessing usually was now a curse. Running my eyes, I forced myself to continue walking. I hadn't slept; I'd been too worried.

I watched Severus push back her hair tenderly after he placed her in her bed. This caused my heart to warm greatly. He loved her so much I couldn't help but smile. We were lucky to have him in our life. Her eyes fluttered open as he sat on her bed to give her another potion. Karina drank the potion without complaint.

"You can go back to sleep, Karina," Severus said in his deep voice.

"Okay, Daddy," Karina whispered back.

She held his hand while she drifted off.

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