THC/The Houses Competition.

Round 1- Standard

House - Gryffindor

Class - Charms

Prompt(s) [Positive Pairing] Minerval McGonagall and Severus Snape

Word Count. 1,851

Beta: Ash Juillet, bea

The war is over and everyday since Minerva has been visiting Severus at St, Mungo's, waiting for the day when he wakes up.

Moving Forward

St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries is a hospital within the wizarding world, founded by the famous wizard, Healer Mungo Bonham in the 1600s. The hospital was split up into five sections.

The first was the ground floor that held the reception and artefact accidents such as cauldron explosions, wands backfiring, broom crashes and so forth. Next came the first floor which held treatment for creature-induced injuries; the ward was named after a famous Quidditch player, Dai Llewellyn who was eaten by a chimaera.

The second floor held magical Illnesses such as dragon pox, vanishing sickness and scrofungulus. The third floor held treatment for potions and plant poisonings.

The last was the fourth floor which many people called the ghost ward. The fourth floor held long-term residents such as Frank and Alice Longbottom, who — thanks to the dark witch known as Bellatrix Lestrange — were tortured by the Cruciatus Curse and eventually driven to insanity.

St Mungo's hospital had become a safe haven for many students after the Battle of Hogwarts, with the students and professors being moved to the hospital for healing. But after six months, everyone was released except for a young man who resided on the first floor, Severus Snape.

After Voldemort was defeated, the wounded were gathered up. Severus was one among them, found barely holding onto life and, thanks to Harry, he was resolved of his crimes against the Wizarding World and was quickly brought to St Mungo's for treatment.

Minerva McGonagall — who was now the Headmistress of Hogwarts — made her way through St Mungo's, watching the Healers tending to the patients as she made her way to Severus' room. For the past six months, every Wednesday and Saturday, she made her way to St Mungo's to visit the old potions professor who had yet to awaken.

Minerva felt awful for the things she had thought of the man once the story was revealed; the killing of Albus Dumbeldore, joining Voldemort, taking over the school was all part of the plan to take Voldemort down in the end.

Every time Minerva entered Severus' room, her heart stopped a little: the young boy she once knew laid out on the hospital bed just as pale as the sheets, his neck wrapped in a thick white bandage along with his shoulder, an oxygen mask placed over his nose and mouth, Charmed of course, unlike the Muggle ones that were hooked up to medicines and tubing.

For the first week, the tubing poked out of the bandages as the snake venom was drained from his system.

Every day, the Healers would come in and care for Severus, but as time passed, the hope that the man would wake up began to fade, the venom from Nagini ransacked his body, leaving him weak and vulnerable.

Minerva let out a long sigh as she sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chair next to Severus' bed.

"Good morning, Severus, it's quite cold outside this morning. You can definitely tell that winter is coming," Minerva said, taking off her jacket and placing it on the back of the chair. "The rebuilding of the school is going well, and I have a feeling that we will be able to open for the new year... I would really like to have you back as potions professor," Minerva took the man's hand in hers, shuddering a little as she felt how cold his fingers were. "You just need to wake up, show me that you are still willing to fight. I know you are strong, Severus, I know you can fight this."

Minerva let out another sigh before looking out the window, watching as everyone went about their day before she continued telling Severus how the repairs to the school were going. Minerva went on, on how the school was doing until suddenly stopping when she felt a small twitch.

"Severus?" Minerva asked, trying not to get her hopes up. Severus had twitched before, but the Healers had informed her it was an uncontrolled movement that his body gave off, that many people in comas twitched, talked and even opened their eyes as if they were waking up, but it didn't mean anything.

"Severus, please, don't do this to me, show me that you are waking up. I need my friend back," Minerva pleaded, holding her breath as she saw the man's eyelid twitch.

Not many people knew this, but she and Severus were close friends, spending many nights together drinking tea and talking about their day. The only times they had fought were during the Quidditch games, when it was Gryffindor against Slytherin, but it was still all in good fun. Sometimes, they would even backtalk about the other professors such as Umbridge or Trelawney when she predicted the third student death of that week.

"Severus Snape,'' Minerva spoke, using the best professor voice she could muster. His answer was a small groan as the young man opened his eyes, wincing as the bright hospital lights blinded him.

Minerva quickly took out her wand and dimmed the lights before taking Severus' hand again.

"Severus? Severus, can you hear me? Please tell me that you can hear me," Minerva pleaded as she gripped the man's hand tighter, not wanting him to slip back into darkness, needing her friend back.

Severus let out what could only be called a gurgle as his eyes landed on Minerva, taking a moment as his eyes adjusted, seeing the half-Scottish witch leaning over him with concern in her eyes. It wasn't often you saw concern in the woman's eyes or any sign of caring; she always held a strict expression.

"...W...whe..where?" Severus slurred, his voice gruff from lack of use. The oxygen mask fogged up as he spoke.

Minerva couldn't help but beam as Severus spoke, a single tear slid down her face. She couldn't believe it, after six months, six months of the Healers telling her that it was hopeless Severus woke up and spoke.

"You are at St Mungo's." Minerva said, her voice cracking with the joy that she felt.

"...Ha...Harry?" Severus spoke, remembering what Albus told him about the boy. If the war was over, then Harry would be dead...he should be dead.

Minerva's smile softened. "Harry is alright - he's alive. He's at Hogwarts right now, helping with the rebuilding." Minerva explained "He Who Must Not be Named is gone...for good." Minerva added, but it was too late as Severus slipped back into unconsciousness.

…

It had been two months since Severus had first woken up, the school was now reopened for the new year, and snow covered the ground, making the grounds look more magical.

Minerva made her way up to Severus' room, greeting the Healers as she went. Standing near the doorway, she watched as Severus stood in between two parallel-bars, his fingers clenched around the metal for dear life as one of his Healers helped him to walk.

A month ago, Severus had started physical therapy to get him back on his feet, and not once did the man not complain, threatening to hex the next Healer who touched him. It was painful, like thousands of red hot needles being shoved into his legs and then being forced to walk.

"Get out!" Severus snapped, gritting his teeth as he forced his right leg forward a couple of inches.

Minerva just smiled, happy to see that Severus was getting back to his old self. "I hear that you will be released in a few days, I'm here today to offer you your job as Potions' Master," Minerva explained.

"At Hogwarts?" Severus hissed as a sharp pain traveled up his leg. "I do not believe I would be welcomed back."

"I am positive that you will be welcomed back, but since when do you care what people think? Or have you grown soft?" Minerva joked, letting out a small chuckle.

"I am not soft..." Severus hissed, "I want the dungeon and my old chambers." Severus demanded, not realizing that Minerva just played him.

"Of course," Minerva agreed, already having Severus' chambers set up in the dungeon; she knew that the man would want to be back in his dungeons.

…

Severus shifted his weight on the crutches he was given once he was released from the hospital as he dismissed the first-year Hufflepuffs from his class. It was his first day back at the school and everything seemed to be normal, just the way it was before.

He started to clean up one of the first-year's messes that was left behind so the tables would be ready for his next class, when he heard someone speak from the doorway.

"How was your first class, Professor?" Harry asked as he leaned against the door frame.

"Mr. Potter?" Severus muttered, not having seen the boy since that fateful night.

"Professor Potter," Harry corrected, with what could be seen as a smirk. "You looked like you were healing well... Minerva called a staff meeting after lunch." Harry passed the message on before walking away, revealing the limp he now held in his left leg.

…

Severus sat on one of the sofas in Minerva's chambers, sipping his tea that was just given to him by one of the house-elves.

"So, how was your first day?" Minerva asked, taking a biscuit from the table and dipping it into her cup before taking a bite.

"It was good… It was the same," Snape replied, taking in a deep breath, taking in the familiar smells of fruits, nuts and earthy scents of the woman's chambers.

"How come you didn't tell me that you made Potter a professor?" Severus questioned.

A small smile spread across Minerva's face. "I didn't think you would come back if you knew. He's the new professor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts," Minerva explained.

"Figured as much," Severus mumbled before taking a sip of his tea.

"He has been having a lot of trouble, he barely comes out of his office — the only time he comes out is to teach or if I call a staff meeting," Minerva explained. "Sometimes he comes down to the Great Hall for meals, but mostly he eats in his chambers."

"Ah, I see, you want me to talk to the boy," Severus commented, knowing what the woman was trying to do. "Will you ever stop meddling in other people's business?"

"Severus, you know me better than that," Minerva said with a small chuckle. "I care for the boy."

"...So do I," Severus admitted. "I'll talk to the boy, but in the meantime, I would like to relax."

Minerva just gave a small smile as she enjoyed her tea.

"I miss this," Severus spoke softly after a few minutes of silence.

"So did I," Minerva replied before they went back to the comfortable silence, the corners of Severus' mouth turning up a little as he relaxed. For the first time in a long time, he relaxed knowing that there was nothing out there that could take this moment away.