AN: Wow! More than 100 reviews on this story. Thanks so much you guys!

I don't own Harry Potter and don't make any profit.

The following weeks went past in a blur, Hermione being in an extremely good mood, due to the humiliation of Rita Skeeter. Their time as a couple though was limited, since they both were quite occupied, Hermione with her apprenticeship and Severus with Elena.

It was five past eight on a Saturday morning, when they normally were in the lab and he was overseeing her brewing more advanced potions. She arrived at the lab, worrying about him being in a foul mood, since she was five minutes late and he normally was a very punctual person. But Severus wasn't there yet. Well maybe there had been some Elena related emergency she thought to herself and went over the ingredients of the potion they were about to brew. When he still hadn't shown up half an hour later, she started to worry and went down to the dungeons. She opened the door feeling the magic of his wards wash over her. A couple of days ago he had altered them, so she could come in as she liked.

"Severus?" she called out. No response was heard. She softly knocked on the bedroom door and opened it carefully, since she didn't know what to expect. Severus was still in his bed sound asleep. That's odd, she thought to herself and carefully approached his sleeping form. Elena was mewing softly in her cot, kicking her legs about.

"Hi sweetie. I guess you are hungry. Come on," Hermione gently lifted her out of the cot and passing Severus she gently brushed over his forehead and started wondering if he might be poorly. She rested her hand on his forehead and nodded.

"That's what I thought, your daddy is poorly. He's got a fever. We'll let him sleep and I'll make you a bottle. What do you think?"

Elena smiled and made some gurgling noises.

"I thought so," Hermione smiled back at her and carried Elena to the little kitchenette. She prepared a bottle for Elena and some tea for Severus, knowing he would need lots of fluids. After Elena had finished her bottle and Hermione had changed and dressed her, she was playing on a thick blanket on the floor and Hermione had settled next to her with a book, when suddenly she heard a hoarse cry.

"ELENA!"

She quickly jumped up and hurried towards the bedroom door, when it flew open. Severus came rushing out, all of a sudden stumbling and holding his head. He was about to topple over, if it wouldn't have been for Hermione stepping in front of him to steady him by leaning her body into his.

"I'm so dizzy… my voice," he croaked out, holding his throat wincing in pain.

"Elena is fine and clearly you are not. Sit down," she ordered and ushered him to the sofa.

"Here is some tea," she handed him a mug.

"What time is it?"

"Nine o'clock," she replied.

"What? I overslept. I'm sorry. We need to get to the lab," he whispered.

"Yeah right. You can't even stand without collapsing, you are hardly able to speak and you have a fever, but please go ahead to the lab, I'm right behind you," she said sarcastically.

"I don't have a fever. How would you even know?" he asked.

"Well I felt it, when I touched your forehead."

"When did you touch my forehead?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "While you were sleeping."

"Well, I'm not going to the hospital wing," he growled hoarsely.

"You don't have to, but you are going back to bed. I will watch Elena and I'll get you some potions."

"I don't need any potions. I'm fine," he grumbled.

"Not even a pain reliever?"

"No," he staggered back to bed. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention back to her book.

"Hermione," came Severus hoarse voice after five minutes.

"What can I get you?" Hermione smirked, standing in the door.

"Can I have a pain reliever after all? My throat is killing me," Severus said ruefully.

"Certainly. Bathroom?" He only nodded. When she came back, she sat next to him on the bed and handed him the potion.

"You know you don't have to play the hero."

"I don't know why I'm poorly. I can't recall the last time I've had a fever," he whispered hoarsely after taking the potion.

Hermione gently stroked his cheek, "It's your body telling you to slow down. You've been doing an awful lot, these past few months, teaching, being a single father, having an apprentice and being a… um … I want to say … boyfriend. But that sounds stupid I must admit. And we aren't lovers. Or are we? We haven't had sex yet. But does the word 'lover' indicate sleeping together…"

Chuckling he cut across her, "You are rambling Hermione. And the phrase you are looking for is 'relationship'. We are in a relationship. But still that doesn't explain why I'm running a fever. I have been under much more pressure the year I've been headmaster and the years before that."

"But now you are under no threat, you can allow yourself to be poorly. Maybe your body knows and he demands rest."

"Mmh."

"Are you hungry?"

"No I just feel knackered, really rotten," he croaked.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of Elena. Get some rest," Hermione softly kissed his cheek, got up and left the room. Severus closed his eyes and immediately drifted off into a light sleep.

Hermione meanwhile took Elena and went up to the hospital wing, to get some fever reducing potion just in case.

"I'm sorry Madame Pomfrey but I'm afraid he won't come up to the hospital wing to let himself get treated," Hermione said apologetically.

"All the better," Madame Pomfrey murmured under her breath while shuffling towards the supply cabinet to get the required potion.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing," the matron smiled sweetly, "here is the potion, my dear."

Making her way back to the dungeons she was pondering over the odd behaviour.

When Severus woke up he felt well rested and slightly better. He slowly got up and looked into the cot, which appeared to be empty. So he went to the living room, where he found Hermione having a cuddle with his daughter. It warmed his heart to see them get along so well and he didn't dare hoping …

"Good morning, Severus! How are you?"

When he answered, there was only an incomprehensible hoarsely croak heard.

"Interesting! Do you maybe need something to write?" she asked mockingly.

He glared at her and snatched a pen and some parchment of his desk.

I feel better but obviously my voice is now gone completely. How long have I been sleeping?

"About 24 hours," she replied to his written inquiry.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Beans on toast. Please.

"For breakfast?"

He just rolled his eyes and then he wrote down Shower! and went to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, they were sitting at the breakfast table and he wrote, Thanks for taking care of Elena!

"You're welcome!"

And of me.

"I always will." she smiled warmly and reached over the table to tenderly caress his cheek, prompting him to close his eyes and sigh contently.

"So you won't be able to teach and you should take the opportunity to rest."

He rolled his eyes, annoyed that she wanted him to rest and even more annoyed that he couldn't answer straight away.

"Look I get the feeling you are not the type who wants to rest. But you still look dreadful and thinking about it now, you've been looking quite tired over the last couple of weeks. You need rest, Severus. So I thought I can teach your classes, at least the NEWTs and OWLs students, so they won't miss anything… Why are you furrowing your brow? I think I'm quite capable of teaching a bunch of fifth and seventh years."

He feverishly kept scribbling something down.

I know you are perfectly capable. I'm just concerned about your wellbeing with Mulciber and his brutes in class.

"Don't you worry about me, I'll be careful. I promise."

Severus sighed unconvinced.

"I've another question for you. I'm under the impression that Madame Pomfrey isn't too fond of you. Why is that?"

She was in love with Albus. I'm not sure if there actually was something going on between them and I don't want to know. He shuddered. So killing him didn't earn me any house points from her.

"Poor Severus," she chuckled.

AN: Reviews always appreciated ! ;-)