It all began with a tickle in the back of his throat.

But Master Healer Snape was too busy trying to help out with the latest outbreak of flu victims at St. Mungos to pay much attention to his own health. This flu was a particularly nasty strain that attacked young children and adults and the elderly alike, weakening their magic and making them sick for days. Severus had been working for several days with another Healer, Ainsley Wilkins, to develop a vaccine for this particular strain, along with making rounds in the hospital. He hadn't really seen much of his family during that time and when he was home, he had just enough energy to kiss Lily, hold Harry, and eat. Then he slept for seven to eight hours.

Only to get up the next day and start all over again, with rounds and office hours. Christmastime was a busy season, what with people collapsing from overwork, or stress, and getting sick because they were trying to do too much in one day, or a week, and their bodies just couldn't handle it. Severus knew he was just as guilty of the latter, he was workaholic and sometimes didn't know when to quit. He had been trying to get a slightly less busy schedule, now that he had a family to come home to, but old habits die hard.

And now, with this latest outbreak, they needed his potions expertise and his analytical mind more than ever. So far, the vaccine created by himself and Miss Wilkins was tested on one hundred hospital employee volunteers, those who had been caring for the flu victims, and it seemed to be a success. Severus was currently brewing more batches of it, and inbetween that had managed to finally buy Lily and Harry some special gifts as well.

So, he put down the slight tickle and soreness in his throat as a result of being awake for almost seventeen hours and the exhaustion he was feeling due to lack of sleep as well. He had not yet received his vaccine, he had intended to make time to get one yesterday, but then an emergency had come up and he had been too busy to worry about himself.

It was only later, now that he was home, and curled up with Harry on the sofa, reading The Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, one of his favorites, that he recalled he had forgotten to stop by the office and ask Matthew to give him the injection again. Oh, well, guess I can do it tomorrow, since we've only half-a-day. He cleared his throat again and resumed reading the story of How the Alphabet Was Made.

It was one of the longer tales in the book, and by the time he was finished, Harry was nearly asleep and his throat was bothering him more than ever. "Sev, you sound like you're tired, why don't you go to sleep and I'll put Harry to bed tonight?" Lily offered.

"Yes, I'll just get a drink of water, my throat is dry from reading, and then I'll go to bed." He smiled gratefully at her and handed her the sleeping child.

After he had drank an entire glass of ice water, his throat no longer felt sore and he was able to fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * * * * *

But he was most definitely not fine the next morning. His throat felt like he'd swallowed fire and his head was throbbing, he ached all over, and he felt weak and woozy. Damn it all, I cannot be sick! I have too much to do. I have patients to see and it's Christmas Eve and how the hell can this happen, now of all the times for me to get the bloody flu, he thought furiously, for there was little doubt in his mind what he had. He had treated too many cases not to know the symptoms blindfolded.

Then he began to cough, and he turned over to muffle it in his pillow so he wouldn't wake Lily.

But Lily had awakened a little before him to use the bathroom and was just coming back to bed when she heard her husband coughing something awful. "Sev, honey, you sound like you're sick." She walked over and touched the back of his neck with her hand. "Merlin, Sev, you're burning up!"

He turned over and said, hoarsely, "Bring me a Fever Reducer please, and then don't come near me until you've gone to visit my office. Bring Harry with you and tell Matthew to give you the new flu vaccine. Wash your hands, Lily. I've got this new flu and it's highly contagious."

"Sev, are you sure? Do I need to call Matthew over?"

"Yes, I'm sure, I've spent the past week treating it and I need you to get vaccinated. I meant to tell you last night, but I was so tired, I just forgot." His dark eyes burned with fever and a terrible urgency. "Please, Lil. This flu is bad, Harry especially needs the vaccine. I dropped a batch off at my office yesterday and Matthew should still have some left."

"All right, luv." She waved her wand and the Fever Reducer popped up on the nightstand. "Here, drink that and rest. I'll be back in a blink."

She helped him sit up and take the potion, then gently placed his head back on the pillow and tucked him in, he was starting to shiver.

"Don't forget . . .wash your hands!" he called after her.

* * * * * *

Ten minutes later, she was in Severus's office, receiving the vaccine in her upper arm. "Matthew, if you've got time, can you please come and examine him? I know he knows what he's talking about, but still . . .I'm worried, he sounded terrible and looked it too."

"Yes, Lil. I'll be over soon as I can, once all the patients are seen." Matthew reassured her. "I told him to get the vaccine immediately, but he would wait till the last minute. Thinks he's invincible sometimes. Okay, Harry. Your turn next."

Harry whined, he didn't like needles, but he had learned to accept them as a fact of going to the Healer's, and didn't fight Matthew when the blond Healer gave him the vaccine, only in his bottom, since there was more muscle there and it wouldn't sting as much. He yelped, but it was over in a minute and then Healer Morgan rubbed the sting away and gave him a chocolate frog for being a brave boy.

"There you go, kiddo. See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Matthew asked.

"How come Daddy didn't give me my shot, Uncle Matt?"

"Your dad's sick, sport, so that's why I'm filling in for him. I'm going to come by the house later on tonight and see how he's doing, okay?"

Harry nodded. He had never seen his dad sick before. In fact he didn't even know his dad could get sick. His dad was the Healer, he took care of people that were sick. He looked over at Lily and said, "Mum, if Daddy's sick, who's gonna make him all better?"

"We are, Harry. Me and Uncle Matt and you too. You can bring him water and juice with a straw, okay?" Lily said, picking up her son. "Matthew, how much do I owe you for these?"

Matthew waved off her offer of payment. "Nothing, Lil. Professional courtesy and all that." He checked his watch. "Got to run, before I'm late, I'll see you later on tonight. Make sure Sev drinks lots of liquids and gets as much rest as possible." Then he was out the door, his white robe swishing about his ankles.

* * * * * *

Severus had never felt so sick in all of his life as he did then. Oh, he'd fallen victim to the usual round of colds and the occasional stomach virus when he was a child, but nothing that would keep him in bed for longer than a day and a night. He had inherited his father's iron constitution, one of the few things he was grateful to the Snape lineage for, that hardy Yorkshire toughness. But now it seemed that phenomenal constitution had failed him.

He lifted his head when he heard the door to his room open, figuring it was Lily coming with some more water or broth for him, she seemed determined to drown him with kindness, he thought wryly, bringing him glass after glass of water. But instead he saw the familiar white-robed figure of his partner Matthew instead.

"Physician heal thyself," Matthew joked lightly, coming over to the side of the bed, his rowan wand out.

Severus managed to roll his eyes at the old saying and said, "I'm trying, Matthew. But so far, my treatments haven't had much effect." He made an effort to prop himself up on the bed.

"What potions have you dosed yourself with, Sev?"

"A Fever Reducer, a Class Three Pain Reliever, and a mild Decongestion Draft, plus a Sore Throat Elixir."

Matthew nodded, they were standard and what he would have prescribed himself. He waved his wand and cast a diagnostic, though he was pretty sure of his findings. "Yes, you've got the flu, Sev. Not as bad as some do, but I'm sure you're feeling like crap right about now. You know, Sev-"

"Don't say it, Matthew." Severus interrupted, coughing slightly. "I know I should have gotten the vaccine yesterday. Now I'm paying for it." He grimaced. "Well, Healer Morgan? What can you prescribe to get me back on my feet in time for Christmas?"

Matthew looked at him and shook his head sadly. "You know the answer to that as well as I do, Sev. Time and rest and keep taking stronger doses of those potions, and drinking lots of fluids. You're young, you're strong, you'll recover. But not in time for Christmas, I'm afraid. Sorry, buddy. But I'm not a miracle worker, Sev. I leave the miracles to the Son of God."

Severus scowled, unwilling to ruin his family's holiday, their first one as an official family. "Damn it, Matthew! There must be something you can do! Lily won't have a very happy Christmas if she's stuck taking care of me. Or Harry either."

"Severus, I'm going to tell you the same thing you tell all your sick patients. The only thing you should be worrying about is getting well. Everything else will just have to take care of itself for once."

The Master Healer harrumphed and eyed his friend balefully. He hated it when his own words were tossed back at him, however appropriate they might be. He could just hex himself for not getting that blasted vaccination, he had invented the damn thing, by Merlin's beard! And now, thanks to his own oversight, here he was, on Christmas Eve, sick in bed. Oh the irony!

Matthew sat down on the edge of the bed and gave his grumpy colleague a sympathetic smile. "Sev, if there were anything I could do to halt this damned infection, you know I would. But magic can only do so much." He handed Severus a tissue to blow his nose and stayed and talked quietly with him for about thirty minutes before leaving, since Severus was becoming sleepy. Severus did manage to extend an invitation for the single Healer to come and have Christmas Day dinner at the house, not wanting Matthew to be alone over the holiday, since his family was back in the States, and he wasn't going to be spending Christmas with them.

Severus's eyes closed and he slept, though his sleep was anything but peaceful. In his fevered state, he dreamed of his childhood and the hell Tobias had put him through, whimpering and moaning like a man possessed, thrashing about trying to flee from the phantom figure of his father. Lily came in to check on him and found her poor husband having a nightmare so terrible that he wept in his sleep.

The red-haired Auror felt her heart constrict for her tormented husband, and she slipped into bed next to him and drew him into her arms. "Oh, Sev! Poor love, it's okay. You're safe with me." She cradled the raven head to her shoulder and stroked his hair and hummed much as she did to her son when he had night terrors. Gradually, her touch and the soft tone of her voice penetrated the depths of Severus's subconscious, and he relaxed against her.

Ignoring his fevered flushed skin, Lily held him until he had drifted into a more peaceful sleep. Then she laid him gently back on the pillows, smoothed his hair back from his forehead and wiped his face with a damp cloth. He slept on, the nightmare vanquished by her unwavering love and compassion. "Sleep well, beloved," she murmured, and kissed him softly before departing. There was much left to do for Christmas Day dinner and breakfast, but at least they had managed to decorate the house and wrap Harry's presents before Severus had fallen ill.

* * * * * *

When Severus opened his eyes again he found a worried pair of green ones gazing at him. "Harry?" he managed after licking his lips, his throat felt dry and dusty as the Sahara.

"Hi, Daddy. Are you getting better soon?" his son asked, patting his face.

"I hope so. How long have you been here, scamp?"

"Few minutes. Mummy said I could see you if I took a nap, and I did. I bringed you some juice, Dad." He pointed to a tall glass of iced apple juice upon the nightstand, with a flexible straw in it.

"Thanks, son." Severus managed to sit up and reached for the glass of juice, drinking it slowly through the straw until he could speak at something above a whisper.

A familiar yellow potion was sitting on the nightstand next to an empty glass, and Harry half-crawled over Sev's lap to pick it up. "Here, Daddy. You has to drink this yucky potion. Mummy says so. An' so does Uncle Matt," he added, in case that were not enough of an incentive.

Severus recognized it as a Pain Reliever, and made a face. His son's assessment of the taste was dead on target. Pain Relievers always tasted nasty, the ingredients in them to dull pain were mostly bitter ones. He carefully set the juice down and grimaced. "I don't think I really need that now," he said slyly, trying to put off taking the horrid potion until the last minute, even though he knew it would make him feel a little better. Right then, the pain was bearable.

"Yes, you does so, Dad!" Harry insisted, looking like a cross little owl with his new glasses perched upon his nose. "Mummy said you has to take this right now, mister!"

Severus arched an eyebrow. "Oh she does, does she?"

The little boy nodded firmly. "An' she says if you're bad and don' take it, I'm s'posed to tell her, and then you'll be in real trouble, Mr. Snape!" Then he thrust the vial at his father. "Hurry up and take it, Dad. B'fore you end up in time out."

Severus found that sick as he was, he could still muster up a half-smile for his son. "Your mother wouldn't dare put me in time out."

Harry nodded his head vigorously. "Oh yes she would too! She tol' me so!" He gave his father a warning scowl. "Take your medicine an' be good, Dad."

"I'll take it later," said Sev, hiding a smirk. Plainly the little imp was delighted to be able to boss his father around for once.

"Now, Daddy! Don' make me count to three."

"Can you even count that high, scamp?"

"Uh huh. One."

"Very well," Severus sighed, pretending to be grumpy. "You win, Mr. Potter." He pulled the stopper from the vial and downed the potion in one swallow. "Ugh! That tasted awful!"

"Here, now you can have some juice." Harry pointed to the half-full glass of juice.

Severus reached over and promptly drank the rest of it, grateful for the sweet taste. Then he settled back against his pillow and said, "Any other orders, Healer Potter?"

Harry smiled, he liked playing Healer and making his daddy do what he said, so he could get well. "No. ‘Cept Mum said I can stay here so long as I'm quiet an' let you rest. Are you tired, Daddy? You was asleep almost the whole day!"

"I know. Being sick sometimes makes you sleepy. And sometimes sleep is the best medicine." Severus told his son. "Why don't you lie down next to me here and tell me what you did today, Harry?"

Obligingly, his son snuggled next to him, and said, "First, I ate cereal for breakfast, the kind with the honey O's, it's my favorite. An' then Mum took me to your work, only you weren't there, Dad, and made Uncle Matt give me a shot." Harry made a face and rubbed his bottom dramatically. "He don't give shots as good as you, Dad. It hurted."

"That shot was to keep you from getting sick, little one. So you don't have to spend Christmas in bed like me."

Harry cocked his head thoughtfully. "Oh. But why didn't Uncle Matt give you a shot in your bum? Was it ‘cause you was a'scared?"

"No, it was because I was too busy and I . . .forgot." Severus admitted ruefully.

"You is not s'posed to forget, Daddy." Harry said severely. "You is a growed-up and is s'posed to remember everything. Like Mum."

"You think your mum remembers everything?"

"Yup. She always ‘members to make me brush my teeth and comb my hair an' she knows when I hide my veggies under my plate an' makes me eat two bites of them. Yuck!"

"Well, that's what mothers are for, Harry. To make little boys eat their vegetables and comb their hair and all. What else did you do, Harry?"

"Umm . . .I helped Mummy bake cookies. We made stars and angels and wizard hats, Mum let me paint them with icining."

"Icining?"

"Uh huh. You know, the white and green stuff that goes on birthday cakes. Icining."

"Icing, I think you mean." Severus corrected.

"Yup. That's what I said." Harry informed him. "They're still in the oven and I made a special one just for you, Dad. Mum says you can eat it after you eat all your dinner. Oh, and I made this for you too!" He reached behind him to pull out a drawing. "This's you holding a kitty, ‘cause kitties always make me feel better, Dad."

Severus examined the picture, for a two-year-old it was quite good. "Thank you, Harry. This makes me feel much better." He set the picture on the nightstand. "Anything else happen?"

"Uh, I watched TV and then I took a nap. Then I came here to see you." He tugged out his beloved stuffed dragon and placed it next to Sev. "Here, Daddy. You can sleep with Smokey. He makes me feel lots an' lots better."

Sev opened his mouth to refuse, but then shut it, not wanting to hurt his son's feelings. "That's very generous of you, Harry. Thank you."

Then Harry leaned over and kissed Severus on the cheek. "Now you're all better!" he cried. "A kiss makes it all better. Mum says so."

Sev put an arm around his son and hugged him hard. "Your mum is very smart, Harry. And you make me better already, son."

"I do?" Harry stared at him in awe. "Wow!"

Sev ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "You're a good Healer, Mr. Potter. Almost as good as I am."

Harry snuggled next to his father. He liked being "almost as good" as his daddy, because his daddy was the bestest Healer and one day when he was big he wanted to be just like him. "Close you eyes, Daddy." He said then, remembering Lily's orders that Sev should rest. "You need rest."

Sev obeyed, his mouth twitching at the imperious tone Harry was using. Then he slyly opened one eye, to see if his son noticed.

"Dad! Close you eyes! You need to rest, Healer Snape!"

"Yes, sir," his patient said, and then shut both eyes.

A second later, he felt a warm little body curl up in the hollow between his shoulder and his arm. "I need some rest too," murmured the would-be Healer, and that was how Lily found them some two hours later, fast asleep.

* * * * *

But that night, Severus's condition took a turn for the worse, and his fever spiked. Lily was frightened and thought about calling Matthew, but in the end she managed to bring it down by two doses of an Extra Strength Fever Reducer plus lots of cold wet cloths. Severus was barely conscious, he alternately froze and burned, shivering violently, until at last his fever broke, somewhere in the wee hours of the morning.

Lily nearly wept for joy and she whispered a heartfelt prayer of thanks before wiping down her husband's lean frame and then putting warmed pajamas on him and tucking several warmed blankets about him. Around three o'clock he woke, she gave him some water and the rest of the potions he needed, he seemed to be getting a little better now.

She re-cast the diagnostic spell, Matthew had shown her it before he left that afternoon, and found that Severus's temperature was almost normal and the flu was slowly being defeated by her husband's indomitable will and potions.

It was Christmas morning, but poor Lily was too exhausted to celebrate it. She fell asleep next to her husband, worn out.

Until their son came busting into the room around eight o'clock, yelling, "Wake up, Mummy and Daddy! Father Kistmas was here! He bringed me presents in my sock an' under the tree! Come an' see ‘em!"

He bounced up and down on his toes, his glasses askew and his pajamas half-unzipped.

Lily groaned. "Oooh! What time is it?"

"It morning time! C'mon, Mummy!" Harry tugged Lily's hand.

Lily sat up and looked over at her husband, who was also awake. "Go on, Lil. He's waited all year for this."

"Sev, can you get up?"

The Healer shook his head. "I'm still a bit dizzy, so it's best if I didn't. But don't disappoint Harry. Go. Christmas comes only once a year."

Lily followed her son down the hall to the den, where Harry proudly showed off the presents under the tree and also in his little stocking hung on the mantle. The little boy was in transports, his little face bright with the wonder and joy of the season. Oh, Sev! You should see this, he's like a little whirlwind. It's not fair that you should miss your son's first Christmas in his new home. Then she got an idea. "Harry, come here for a minute!"

Harry halted and ran over to her, clutching a small box wrapped in red and green paper. "Can I open the presents, Mum? Please?"

"Yes, but listen to me first . . ." she whispered her idea into Harry's ear.

The little boy shouted eagerly. "Yes, Mum! Let's do that!"

Lily grinned and waved her wand.

Two minutes later, they were marching into Severus's bedroom, the presents floating behind them in a long line.

"Lily, what in Merlin's name . . .?"

"Since you couldn't come and see Harry's second Christmas, and his first in his new home, we brought Christmas to you, Sev!" Lily said, and levitated all the presents onto the bed. "Happy Christmas, Sev!"

"Happy Kistmas, Daddy!" Harry yelled, climbing up and giving his father a great big hug. "Now can we open the presents?"

"Go ahead, son," Severus urged, and Lily came to sit on his other side and together they watched their son tear open his presents, recalling a time long ago when they too were young and innocent and Christmas was the best time of the year.

When Harry had opened almost all of his gifts, Severus asked him to go under the bed and fetch the box that was there. Harry emerged, slightly dusty, carrying a box wrapped in starry paper. "That's for your mum, scamp. From me. Happy Christmas, Lily my love."

Lily carefully unwrapped the paper and withdrew a beautiful shawl. It was spun from rare frost spider silk and shimmered like a star fallen from the heavens. On the clasp was a pin with an S and L intertwined by a snake with emerald eyes. "Oh! Sev, it's absolutely beautiful! Where did you find it?"

"Brunhilda's shop. It's one of a kind. Like my wife."

She swirled it around and then put it on. "How do I look?"

"Like a fairy queen," her husband said. Then he kissed her.

Laughing, she summoned his present from the pile still remaining upon the bed, and bid him open it. Inside was an elegant emerald cloak, lined with snakeskin and a pin in the shape of a caduceus with the initials SS on it.

"Do you like it? You really needed a new cloak, your old one was so . . ."

"Worn? Fit for a ragbin?" Severus supplied, laughing. "Now I'll look like some pureblood lord of the manor."

"Better. And now when you have to attend that stuffy St Mungos Board Meeting in February, Healer Thurgood can't look down his nose at you and regret ever allowing a half-blood Master Healer to join his staff."

"Oh, I think he might. A new cloak won't make me keep my mouth shut," chuckled Severus. "That's what he really dislikes about me, you know. The fact that I'm not afraid to tell him when he's wrong. But this cloak is fit for a prince. Even a half-blood one like me. Thank you, Lil."

Then he kissed his wife soundly for the second time that morning, until Harry interrupted their intimate moment by calling for them to see his new toy Hogwarts Express. They separated, blushing, and Severus thought that this Christmas hadn't been half bad after all, even if he was sick, for he still had his family to celebrate with, and that was what mattered most.