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Chapter 13

Harry took deep breaths through his nose, trying to catch his breath. He and Sirius had raced to the infirmary to see if what Poppy had said was true. When they got there, they discovered that Severus, Remus, and Dumbledore were already there.

"Remus?" he asked as he went to stand by his lover. "Is it true?"

Remus nodded and laid a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "He's fighting to stay conscious, and Poppy isn't sure if she'll be able to do any tests tonight, but it looks like he might recover."

"We'll see," Snape countered from where he sat off to one side.

Harry looked over to where his chair was placed and noticed that Sirius had gone to stand by him. Raising an eyebrow and looking between them and Remus, he shot a sly smile at his lover before turning his attention to the former Headmaster.

Poppy finally came through the door, followed by Sprout and Warrington and waited until everyone was seated before telling them what was happening.

"He recognized me, but was having a hard time understanding what I was saying. It may be because of how long he was in the coma, or it may be the result of the curse that hit him. Whichever is was, I'll be testing for tomorrow. For now, though, he's in the first natural sleep for the first time in twenty months. It is still possible that he may slip into another coma, but we should be hopeful that this won't happen."

"When can we see him?" Harry asked after everyone had time to digest the news.

"No sooner than a couple of days from now. I want to be sure that he'll be able to take the stress of visitors." Poppy turned to Sirius and Severus. "I'll need a couple of potions to help get him back up to the nutritional standards he should be at. It'll be likely that he won't be able to handle solid foods for a while, and even with a liquid diet, it's going to take some time to adjust back to his normal health."

"What about his schooling?" Severus asked. Warrington looked at him with a brief, irritated glance before turning back to Poppy with only Harry noticing as Severus went on. "It may be a while before he's able to get back into the school routine, but will we be able to help him in his studies while he recovers?"

Poppy nodded. "Indeed, I think that will be good for him. His body has taken a hard hit and the stimuli will be good for him."

The discussion continued for another half an hour before all those present split up.

"Did you still want that chess game, Sirius?" Harry asked as they left the infirmary.

Sirius shook his head. "How about tomorrow? I don't think that you'll be able to concentrate on a game right now." He turned to Remus, who was just leaving the infirmary with Severus. "Remy? Think I can borrow Harry tomorrow night?"

Harry let out an exasperated sigh as Remus replied, "I'm not his keeper, Sirius. Besides, a night to myself sounds kind of good." He winked at Harry, letting him know he was kidding.

"Sure, whatever you say," Sirius said. He tossed them both a grin and waved at them before taking the few steps between him and Severus. "So, when do you want to work on what Poppy needs?"

"We need the list first, Sirius," Severus said as the two rounded a corner, leaving Harry and Remus alone in the corridor.

Harry shook his head. "Is that weird to see or is it just me?" he asked as he took Remus' hand.

Remus smiled. "It's not just you. Frankly, it's a little scary to see that."

Harry laughed. "I should go owl Ron about Draco waking up," he said as the two of them began the trek back to their rooms. "I think he'll want to know."

"It's strange to think about Ron wanting to know about Draco. Not as strange as Sirius and Severus talking civilly, but still odd, even here at Hogwarts."

"Mm. I agree."

Remus squeezed Harry's hand. "Shall we be off to the owlery?"

Harry laughed. "Yes. I'm sure Hedwig wouldn't mind the trip – as long as Pig stays out of the way when she gets there."

"That reminds me," Remus began. "When does his training start?"

"In another week." Harry held the door leading to the owlery open for the two of them and they began climbing the stairs. "He and Seamus will be sharing rooms for the first couple of months before they're sent on their internships."

"Maybe it will help him, then, learning his new job," Remus said as they paused at the top of the stairs.

"I hope so," Harry agreed. "I just hope he doesn't get halfway through before he sets off after Lucius."

******

The Halloween Feast was going strong as Sirius looked out over the students. He couldn't quite share in their happiness and enthusiasm. In fact, he was very disappointed that Severus would be leaving shortly. It was strange how they'd grown so close since their vacation on the island.

The two of them had developed a good working relationship, building that on their strengthening of their personal one. Sirius wasn't quite sure just when the two of them had stopped being enemies and starting being friends, but he rather liked it the way it was now. He just wished that they could have done all this a lot sooner, but he had learned that wishing for the impossible just made it all that much harder.

Together, they had created several new potions that would help the doctors in St. Mungo's, who often still dealt with the repercussions from the second war with Voldemort. Severus would be continuing their research there, both to help the doctors there, and to also recover from his own injuries. Sirius was worried about him, as he often complained about sharp tingling in his lower back. Poppy hadn't known what to do about it, as her training hadn't been that advanced in spinal injuries.

With Severus leaving, Sirius was also starting to feel alone again. Since Severus had announced his moving to the wizarding hospital in London, every time he looked at him or Harry or Remus made him feel isolated from them. Once his friend was gone he would have to spend more time on his own – he wouldn't intrude on Remus and Harry's time with each other, and taking care of school business didn't take up much of his time.

He looked over at Severus, who was in a deep conversation with Poppy, the two of them discussing Draco's recovery. Sirius knew that the other man had been called down to the hospital wing to help Draco understand what was going on. The boy hadn't understood just how much time had passed, or would be disoriented from it. At times like these, as Draco's former head of house, Snape would be needed to talk to him. The next morning, Sirius would find Severus exhausted from those meetings. While he wanted to take away the pain he knew the potions master had, he wasn't sure if he should try.

"Sirius?"

He turned to find Harry watching him curiously. "What is it?"

Harry grinned. "Remus and I were wondering if you wanted to join us this weekend in Hogsmeade. Ron is going to be there, as well as Seamus. We're also going to ask Severus if he wants to come along, seeing as it's his last weekend here. You think he'll come?"

Sirius took a moment to think about it. He had already been planning to ask if Severus would come with him to Hogsmeade to talk about some of their new potions. It would be a little more difficult to do so with the others there, but he couldn't find a reason to say no.

"Sure, I'll be there. Why don't I ask Severus?"

"Ask me what?" Severus said to Sirius' right. His discussion with Poppy was obviously over, as Sirius heard her talking with Sinistra on her other side.

"You want to come with us to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, smiling. "You don't have to stay all day with us, but you can join us at The Three Broomsticks for lunch."

Sirius watched as Severus thought it over. He wondered what he thought about one of his former students – and former hated student at that – asking him if he wanted to join them. Sirius could see him wavering about it, so he decided to speak up. "I'm going with them, but we could always stop at the apothecary. Didn't you say you wanted to show me something there before you left?"

A spark quickly appeared and disappeared in Severus' onyx eyes, too quick for Sirius to read. "I will accompany you for a short time. It will depend on when Albus is coming to pick me up."

Sirius was a little disappointed at the answer, but at the same time he was happy that they would have more time to spend together before Severus left Hogwarts. Well, he would just have to make the most of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius watched the crowd in The Three Broomsticks, content to nurse his butterbeer. He and Severus had been left on their own once lunch was over. A half-grin touched his lips as he remembered just how uncomfortable Ron and Seamus had been in their former potions instructor's presence. He had also noticed that Harry and Remus hadn't noticed it at all, both of them far too interested in each other to tell what was going on.

That made the grin turn full-fledged. It was great to see the two most important people in his life happy. Each of them deserved it, even if he was left out of the loop. Not that he wanted to join them, but it was only recently that he knew it was because he wanted someone to be with like that.

Shaking off such thoughts, since they usually lead to nowhere, Sirius turned to Severus.

"So, when does Albus come to pick you up?" he asked, hoping that his voice didn't reflect his sorrow at losing his friend.

"Tomorrow," Severus answered. "Minister Sumner required him to stay another day in regards to Draco finishing his education at Hogwarts."

Sirius stared at him. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Severus shook his head. "It's a matter of keeping him safe. Several of the governors wish that he be educated elsewhere to protect him, since his father was a prominent Death Eater. It's only a matter of time before those who during the war were touched by Lucius think of revenging themselves with his son."

"Mm." Sirius could see that, but he wished people weren't so revenge happy. Including him, which had almost involved him getting The Kiss because he had almost killed Pettigrew rather than capture him to gain his freedom. He had no other thought than revenge when he had managed to catch up with his former friend, and it was only because Harry had been with him that saved him.

"What about Lucius?" he asked. "From what The Daily Prophet had been reporting, several people have sighted him since Hermione's death."

Severus was quiet, and Sirius had just thought that he wasn't going to answer when he did.

"If he learned that Draco is awake, he will come here." Severus gave him a swift look, too quick for Sirius to read everything that was in the black eyes. He did see a lot of fear for his former student, mixed in with guilt. "Albus and I have worked with Flora and Poppy to strengthen the wards in the hospital wing, offering some needed protection. The rest will be up to the staff if Lucius does gain entry to the castle."

Sirius sighed. He didn't really want a showdown with his former classmate, especially when the other man knew a hell of a lot darker spells than he did. "Have you told Remus or Harry?"

Severus nodded. "I told Po – Harry about it, since he is Draco's most regular visitor. He will be tutoring Draco, both in Transfigurations and Charms, each night after dinner."

Sirius smiled at that. He could still remember the uproar Severus had put up when he had discovered that Harry and Draco were working together for the order. It had been shortly after Sirius had caught Wormtail, and the potions master had not been happy to be proven wrong about Sirius' innocence. When he learned that his favorite and least favorite students were becoming friends, Severus had tried to raise the roof. Sirius suspected that Severus had still seen Harry they way he had the first four years of his schooling, and had ignored the changed wrought in Sirius' godson after the third task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Even now, two years after that incident, it was quite funny to see Severus stiffen when he talked about Draco and Harry working together.

Still, he was worried that just being around Draco would hurt Harry. He knew that his godson would be a target for a long time because of Voldemort's defeat by him, but Lucius was not a man to be crossed. And yet, Sirius held hope that Harry's anger about what the man did to his best friend would help his cause rather than hurt it.

"I will be coming here to check on him sometime before Christmas," Severus said, interrupting Sirius' worried thoughts. "Just because I am no longer his teacher does not mean that I cannot visit with him."

"Good," Sirius said. He saw a surprised look cross Severus' face. "What? I'm pretty sure that those of us here will be watching out for him, so it's no surprise that you would do the same. After all, you helped him stay out of his father's reach as long as you could."

A flash of guilt crossed the potions master's face, telling Sirius that the emotion was a partial motivator to his visiting Draco. "Severus," he said, laying a gentle hand on the other man's arm. "It isn't your fault, you know. If it hadn't happen there, it probably would have happened anyway."

He could tell by looking at the other man that Severus didn't believe him. Sirius knew enough to let up on the subject for the moment, though, and caught Rosmerta as she passed and ordered two more butterbeers.

"Sirius, you don't have..."

"No. Since you're going to be leaving, it's the least I can do," Sirius cut him off. "And after we're done with these, we can head off to the apothecary and then back to school. I wanted to see if using the thornberry root would get a better reaction out of the Tomosu potion than the laceberry root."

Two hours later found them slowly making their way back to the castle. Most of the students were still in Hogsmeade, as were most of the teachers. Both of them had talked to Remus and Harry as the passed by, the latter two on their way back to the castle of the Head of House meeting for Remus to attend. They were almost at the Shrieking Shack when Severus stopped.

"Severus?" Sirius was alarmed at the expression on the other man's face. It looked like he was in serious pain.

"Take me... Poppy," Severus managed to get out as he ground his teeth together in a tight grimace.

Knowing that something was seriously the matter, Sirius shrunk their packages and shoved them in his pockets. As soon as they got to the door closest to the infirmary, he picked Severus out of his chair, not bothering with the levitation spells he would need to maneuver around the stairs. Rushing towards the hospital wing, Sirius could feel Severus flinching in pain as he moved, even though he was being as careful as he could.

"Poppy!" Sirius burst through the doors, gently setting Severus down on the first available bed. Ignoring the curious students unfortunate to be stuck in the hospital wing, he made a mad dash to the nurse's office. Finding her seated behind her desk, he said, "Poppy, it's Severus. He...."

Poppy rushed out of the office, hurrying over to where Severus was laying. "When did this start?" she asked as she pulled her wand out of her sleeve and uttered a spell, the tip of the wand glowing slightly.

"About ten minutes ago," Sirius answered. Severus didn't look up to answering any of the nurse's questions, as his eyes were tightly shut.

"You were in Hogsmeade?"

Sirius nodded.

"Any alcohol?"

"No. A couple of butterbeers. Steak and kidney pie for lunch," he said, figuring that would be her next question.

"Did anybody else have it?"

Sirius nodded again. "I did."

Poppy's wand had stopped over Severus' stomach. "Well, it's not something he ate," she muttered under her breath. Using a different spell, she ran her wand over Severus again and stopped at the same point.

Sirius watched anxiously as she nodded quickly before turning to the potions cupboard.

"Severus, I'm going to give you something for the pain," she said as she poured a small vial of the red liquid in her hands. "I need to know if it's stopping it." She held the vial up to his lips, being careful to get it into his mouth.

"More," Severus ground out after a minute.

Poppy turned to Sirius. "If this next dose isn't enough, I'll need to get him to St. Mungo's as quickly as possible."

Sirius gave a swift nod and watched as the second dose was given. It seemed to do the trick as Severus' face relaxed.

Poppy gave a sigh of relief before going back to the cupboard and pulling out a second potion. Pouring that into a goblet, she gave it to Severus when he opened his eyes. "This is a Dreamless Sleep potion. It'll help relax you while I find out what's going on. It's enough to last three hours, Severus."

Nodding, the potions master quickly swallowed the potion and Sirius and Poppy watched as he fell asleep.

"What do you think it could be?" Sirius asked as Poppy ran through a couple of spells.

"I'm not sure," the nurse replied. "I'll find out what I can, but I'll make sure that the doctors at St. Mungo's check him out just to make sure. It seems to be coming from his lower back where he was injured."

Sirius was surprised. "Do you think he'll get any feeling back?"

Poppy sighed. "I don't know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius could hear voices from the other room. He sat next to Severus' bed, the other man having been moved to one of the private rooms so he could rest. Harry and Remus had stopped by, worried when neither Sirius nor Severus had shown up at dinner. While Sirius was happy that they were concerned about Severus, all he wanted was for Severus to wake up.

Finally standing up, he stretched slowly, feeling the knotted muscles in his back protest his sitting for so long. Once he was done with that, he looked over at Severus. A hair had fallen across one cheek as he shifted slightly in his sleep. Reaching over, Sirius moved it aside, finding that Severus' hair was soft to the touch. It wasn't greasy either, a fact he had subconsciously noticed over the course of the summer. Of course, the potions master wasn't in the dungeons for twenty-odd hours a day, but the fact had made Sirius think about what else he'd had misconceptions about his friend.

He realized he was still brushing Severus' cheek. Pulling back slightly, Sirius was glad the other man was asleep as a blush spread over his face. When Severus didn't do anything more than move into the warmth of his fingers, Sirius bent down closer and hesitated. Figuring that he had been put into Gryffindor for a reason, he moved all the way and pressed his lips against the other man's cheeks.

"Wake up soon, Severus," he whispered, the sound little more than a soft breeze. Sirius pulled back all the way and sat back down in his chair, wearily covering his eyes with one hand.

He was startled out of his confusing thoughts a minute later when movement from the bed sounded. Looking up, he saw that Severus was wearing a pained expression on his face. Jumping up, Sirius grabbed his hand.

"Severus! Do you need me to get Poppy?" he asked anxiously.

The man in the bed shook his head. "Not yet." Severus' voice was but a mockery of the smooth, dark voice Sirius had become used to. He opened his mouth to speak when Severus continued. "I – in my dream... I thought," he trailed off, his confusion evident in his disjointed words. "I thought you kissed me."

Sirius tried to keep his shock and embarrassment at being caught hidden. Swallowing hard enough that he could hear it, he nodded. "Yes," he whispered.

"Why?"

He looked at Severus as he lay on the bed, the sharp eyes dulled slightly by pain. He suddenly realized why he had kissed the other man. Leaning over Severus once more, he stopped when his lips were just centimeters away from his. "Because I love you." With that, he gently brushed Severus' lips with his. There was no response from the other man for a couple of seconds.

Sirius went to pull away when the mouth under his opened up and arms went around his neck pulling him in closer. He quite liked the sensation he then got as a tongue brushed hotly against his lips and then got lost in it.

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