When they reached the hospital wing she hesitated outside the door, almost afraid to go in after what the other boys had told her of his injuries. She wanted to see him but she couldn't bear to see hurt. Sensing her trepidation, Severus placed a comforting hand on her back and guided her in.

Evan was a much healthier looking colour than he had been when Severus left but he was still rather pale and sickly looking, and it pained him to hear the way his daughter gasped when she saw him.

Trembling she reached out, placing her hand on his as Poppy updated them on his condition, Severus was relived to hear that he was healing nicely but poor little Lily was shook.

From the next bed, The Clearwater boy awkwardly offered her an apology, evidently blaming himself for the severity of Evans accident.

"It wasn't your fault Clearwater" The Potion Master said reasuringly. "Not unless there is some element to this story that you boys have yet to disclose?" He posited, eyeing the boy sharply.

Billy shook his head fervently.

"Don't blame yourself then, it could just have easily have been Evan who went over the top and I would hope that you would have done the same to rescue him had your places been reversed.

"Yes Sir, of course Sir." the boy stammered looking somewhat relieved.

Severus nodded, smiling kindly at the boy before asking how he was feeling.

Harry was surprised, he knew his father cared far more about his students well-being than he let on but he never thought he would witness him attempting to comfort one. Then again, Billy was Evan and Lily's friend and his father had been surprisingly open with Harry's friends at home over the summer, plus he had to remember that he himself had once been on the receiving end of the Potion Masters uncharacteristic gentleness, when after a quidditch injury aggravated by Lockharts incompetence early the previous year his father had ended up having to donate blood to him, back when for all they knew they were nothing more than student and teacher to each other.

Harry smiled at the memory. He had been in the very same bed that Billy was in now and his father had made some joke about his becoming a vampire. It was the first interaction they had ever had, that hadn't left Harry feeling a little on edge but thinking back on it now Harry suddenly realised that while he was still in the dark as to their true relationship the blood match would have set alarm bells ringing for his father so he was probably making a concentrated effort to be nice to him.

Harry had been in the hospital wing quite a few times since then, including the time that he too had broken a rib during a rather ill thought foray into the forbidden forest with Ron.

Harry sincerely sympathised with his brother, he knew first hand just how painful an experience it was. It was really strange that they should both suffer almost identical injuries. So strange that Madame Pomfrey had even dug out a copy of his old chest film to compare them but he was happy that it meant his father could use him to prove to Lily that Evan would be fine even if he did find the way Billy grinned at him from behind his comic book as she studiously prodded at his ribs to be absolutely mortifying.

Her mood seemed to improve a little after that and she climbed up onto the bed beside Evan, silently stroking his hair, until exhausted from the whole ordeal she fell asleep.

Harry had been worried about the twins even before this and it would have been perfect if he could have used some of this time to speak to his father about his concerns but it wasn't really a discussion that could be held in public and the Potions Masters current mood didn't exactly invite conversation, leaving poor Harry to feel as though his continued presence there was pretty pointless. He was getting bored just sitting there and its not like his being there was helping Evan in any way but he knew that if he left to go and find his friends that it would upset Lily, so he stayed, deciding to make do with Billy's company instead.

The poor boy had spent the best part of the last hour politely pretending to be so engrossed in the adventures of Wulfric the Wonder Wizard that he wasn't paying any attention to what the Snapes were doing but comics were short and he had clearly finished reading it ages ago so he was delighted when Harry initiated a game of I Spy with him.

The Potions Master rolled his eyes at them and fearful that he would be forced to participate made a hasty retreat to Madame Pomfrey's office, leaving them to it. He was a friendly enough boy and they got on well together, laughing and joking as they played and it felt like no time at all until his father reappeared to cautiously rouse Lily.

She seemed a little bewildered when she woke, but accepted that it was time to go without putting up a fuss which was lucky as visiting hours were already long since over and while Poppy had kindly made an exception for them, she needed to be able to get on with her work.

Severus needed to get back to work too, his Slytherins would be getting up to all kinds of devilment if he didn't look in on them soon but he wasn't sure he could leave Lily on her own. If she returned to Ravenclaw tower, would she seek comfort from her new friends or would she hide herself away somewhere in isolation?

Pulling Harry aside for a minute as she trudged down the stairs ahead of them, he asked if he would mind keeping an eye on her until dinner, and as usual his son readily agreed, hurrying off after her immediately. Severus smiled as they disappeared around the corner together, he was glad to see Harry wasn't holding a grudge against her after she hit him earlier. He was always so selfless, just like his mother, and it truly amazed him to think that the ever prickly Petunia Evans could have raised such a child.