A/N: And here the POA drabbles come to a close. Feel free to throw any thoughts or suggestions about the upcoming books in the reviews section!

A loud groan came from the occupied hospital bed, and Poppy, shaking off the tiredness she was feeling, rushed to see if Severus was awake. He'd been out for most of the night, the sedative she'd given him was a strong one. Poppy had spent the last few hours trying to keep herself awake in case Severus needed anything.

Pulling the curtain around his bed back, she saw he was opening his eyes, looking completely dazed. Beside him, Minerva was asleep in the chair, her head hanging down. "Severus?"

His eyes had a slightly blank look to them, like he wasn't completely aware of his surroundings. It was a normal side effect. "Poppy…what is going on? Why am I here?"

"We gave you something to calm you down."

Severus still looking confused, pushed back the hair sticking to his still sweating face. "Black?'

"Still gone," she nodded. "Rest, Severus."

"Potter and-,"

"Asleep in their beds." A long breath came from Severus who looked too exhausted to say anything else. Poppy felt her stomach turn thinking about how hysterical Severus had been in front of the minister, Albus, and the children. It was like all the tension and the stress from the year had finally made him snap. In the years she'd known him, Poppy hadn't known Severus to be much of a shouter. She could count the number of times on one hand that she'd heard him yell over all the years he'd been there. But, hours before he had been shouting loud enough to be heard in Hogsmeade.

In some ways, she'd begun to feel a motherly protection over the young man. It had been a gradual thing, but seeing the exhaustion clear across the man's face, and knowing the trauma the year had brought up for him, she felt her heart soften. Looking closely at him, she saw that blood was trickling from the injury on his head, and Poppy grabbed a wet rag from the bucket beside his bed and handed it to him. "You're still bleeding," she said softly.

Severus took the rag, dabbing at the cut on his head. "How long as she been here?" he asked, motioning towards Minerva, his voice softening.

"Since the minister left. Albus went and got her," she explained. "We tried to calm you down, but we slipped something in your water to help."

"Isn't there some set of rules for mediwitchs that forbid you from medicating patients without their permission?" he asked with a snort. Poppy had been nervous he'd be angry, but even if he was, he was too groggy to get himself worked up.

"You're the exception," she retorted, taking the rag when he'd finished with it. "Get some sleep." Poppy began to close the curtain once more.

"Poppy?"

"Hmm?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"Thank you."

"And here, I thought you'd be more furious at the sedative."

"Oh, I could hex the two of you for that," he said, glancing at the Deputy again. "But, I'm far too tired for that now. I was referring to everything…with Remus this year…" He looked up at her, his eyes filled with emotion.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"You could have told Minerva…you could have told everyone about what happened…at the shack all those years ago…"

"I'm not a gossip," she said, offering a chuckle.

Severus smirked. "I thank you for that."

"Why didn't you tell her earlier? All these years…only Albus and I knew what happened. It was clearly affecting you so strongly…"

The question clearly made him uncomfortable as he fidgeted in the bed. Severus breathed deeply; it was obvious he didn't want to discuss it. "It's complicated."

"I know you are," she nodded, putting a hand up. "I won't ask you anything else."

Severus looked thankful that she wasn't going to question him any further. Before she could protest, he had stood from the bed, looking wobbly on his feet. Poppy watched as he pulled the blanket off his bed and covered Minerva with it. The Deputy shifted in her sleep but didn't wake up. Even in sleep, Minerva wore the same stern expression. Poppy smiled at the gesture. "I could have gotten another blanket."

Shrugging, Severus stroked her cheek with his thumb. It was amazing how the man who had been screaming loud enough to wake up the castle hours before could suddenly be so gentle with her. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "She should be in her bed."

"And who tells Minerva McGonagall 'no' once she has an idea in her head?"

As Severus looked towards the hospital bed, Poppy went to him, steading him to help him back up. "The lack of balance will wear off with the sedative. Sleep it off," she said, her voice harsher than she would have liked. Severus nodded, giving in, and pulling the remaining sheet up to his neck. "Don't make me come in here again."

When the light sound of Severus's snoring filled the room, Poppy unhooked her apron and dragged herself into her office and then into her personal rooms. As she stripped down to her nightgown, Poppy felt her shoulders untense now that the events of the evening had finally come to a close. The year had been a trying one. Poppy loved Remus- she truly did. But, knowing the history that his presence had brought for Severus had eaten away at Poppy. Nobody else had seen him the night that Sirius had set him up to be hurt or even killed by Remus. The man asleep in the hospital wing was the hardened version of the young boy Poppy had cleaned up that night. Laying in bed years later, Poppy could still picture the expression on young Severus's face, eyes wide with fear and body covered in bruises. Nobody else had heard how Albus had made him promise not to say a word about the incident, the incident that Severus still carried the trauma with as an adult. And Remus's presence had been a consistent reminder of that night and all the days Severus had wound up injured in the hospital wing at their hands. With the year closing, Poppy hoped Severus would finally have some peace.