This World of Glass by Whitetail
Summary: Third in the series Days We Learn From. In a darkening world where the war looms ahead, things couldn’t be more wrong. A new hand has been dealt out, and now Severus isn’t well, and this he knows. But what is it that is causing the fainting spells, and how long can he keep this a secret from his two adopted sons, Harry and Draco? More importantly, with the Dark Lord still furious over the discovery of Severus as a spy, how long can the little family continue to escape his clutches?
Categories: Misc > All written in Snape's POV, Parental Snape > Guardian Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Original Character
Snape Flavour: Snape is Loving
Genres: Family, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Alternate Universe
Takes Place: 6th Year
Warnings: Character Death, Romance/Het, Violence
Challenges: None
Series: Days We Learn From
Chapters: 28 Completed: Yes Word count: 82971 Read: 92777 Published: 04 Dec 2011 Updated: 19 Apr 2012
Stifling Worries by Whitetail

A sudden onset of colds and flus in early November had me brewing potions like there was no tomorrow. Both Poppy and Laura had their hands quite full, and for the days that Poppy was there Laura stayed too to try and get the outbreak under control. The problem mainly, was the first years, who not only were not as adept at keeping clean but were much less able to tough it out. Not to mention, many were still used to their mothers holding their hands and giving them lots of hugs when they were sick. Naturally, I had to make a fair few trips down with potions to the infirmary, and just as many trips down with crying first years in the dead of night.

     "Let me guess, you'll need another batch of Pepper-Up today," I said over my morning coffee while Laura beside me (looking quite haggard) tried to stay awake to drink her coffee as well.  Poppy was still in the hospital wing at the moment, and would soon take her leave to eat as well once Laura returned.

     "Two first years and a second year came in last night, and all three were vomiting," she said to me. "We'll be good for Pepper-Up for at least three days, but Stomach Soothing elixir is what we really need. On top of that we have two others in the same predicament and a whole lot coming in for Pepper-Ups, which means plenty of running around."

      "And I thought I was busy, what with chasing after my boys," I said, rolling my eyes. "Harry charmed my quill to sing obscene songs the other day. He thought it was terribly funny. Where he found the spell I'll never know."  I was rather glad that Harry had finally relaxed enough not to fear he is going to be punished for everything he did (though he knew full well I would probably give him a bit of a talking to about that quill). Molly told me it was a good thing he had finally calmed down a little and started to get into a little mischief, as he used to be petrified of making me mad. But I sometimes wished he would stay a little petrified (just a little mind you) and be a bit less mischievous lest my hair go grey early.

      "I can imagine that is a bit of a chore," she said with a tired laugh. "I haven't worked with teenagers a lot before this, and I forgot how much of a handful they can be at times. I wonder how Poppy manages year after year, with essentially a whole school to look after." Laura shook her head.

      "Great offence," I said very dryly. "Can't count the times she's attacked me and literally dragged me down there herself."

       Laura snorted into her coffee, much to my surprise.

      "Always ladylike, that one," Minerva added lightly from Laura's other side, rolling her eyes.

       I found I didn't mind so much.       

 

       ***

 

    I awoke at five in the morning the next day, gasping for air. My chest felt really tight, but that could easily have been due to the fact that I had been dreaming about Lily's murder again. That nightmare always left me in a cold sweat, but this time the dream had been a little different.

        It had begun as it always did, with me overhearing that prophecy, and then as I was thrown out of the Hog's Head I somehow fell into the hall of the Potters' cottage in Godric's Hollow. Nothing new. I then recalled stepping over James Potter's body, but unlike other times, this one had made me feel very ill, because Harry looked so much like him. The dream had only grown stranger still as a four year old Harry then ran grinning down the stairs toward me. He tripped, but as I went to catch him he burst into smoke as the dreamscape twisted before my vision. Yes, that part had been new.

     I ran my hand through my sweaty hair as my chest heaved and the dream kept running like a film through my head. Things in my dream had proceeded as usual when I walked up the staircase, wood splintered and broken as I wove around the wreckage. At that point I took a glance back, and saw James Potter's glasses glinting in the eerie light. I then moved on. Up those steps, steps I have travelled up over and over in a thousand nightmarish recollections. They always seemed to go on forever, and I always broke into a run that felt so slow I would wonder if I'd ever reach the room. But I did, I always did, and each time I found Lily on the floor.

     I always had trouble remembering that part of the dream, when I would go to her and hold her in my arms and all I would hear was the whisper of a scream drifting from the house, a sort of echo of what had happened. But this time Harry had been nowhere in sight, for in most dreams he would be peering at me through the bars of his cot. What made it so much stranger than nightmares like it however, was that Lily did not lie limp in my arms, and instead sat up and rested before me on her knees. I had tried to speak, but she just smiled and took my hand in hers as I sat on the floor. She kissed my fingers, which where woven in hers, and disappeared, giving a gentle nod of her head.

        The dream still lingering within the recesses of my mind, I got up from my bed, knowing that in my dread and confusion I wouldn't sleep again. My legs were weak, whether from the dream or something else I didn't know. Either way, I couldn't seem to catch my breath. It came in gasps, and wheezes. I got up anyway and stumbled to the bathroom to wash my face. My chest pinched tightly and I started to cough, a sick sort of crackling coming from my lungs. I leaned on the edge of the sink. It took me some time to stop, and for a little while after I just stood, knees shaking and knuckles white as I gripped the sink. I took a few deep breaths and wiped the sweat from my forehead and splashed my face with water. Looking up, I examined my reflection in the mirror. I had deep shadows under my eyes. I also needed to shave, but that could wait for later, for a little part of me feared to move in case I started to cough again.

      "Just a cold," I said to myself hoarsely, having trouble believing myself. "That's all it is Severus. Don't worry yourself."

 

      ** 

 

      "Hey Dad!" Harry said in excitement around breakfast time as he burst through the door to my quarters.

      "Yes?" I said, looking up from my book briefly, quill in hand as I altered a potion recipe. I looked considerably better than I had early in the morning, though I thought my eyes looked a little bit more blood shot than usual due to lack of sleep.

      "Have you read the paper today?" asked Harry.

     "I have not," I said, closing my book. I had in fact read it but he looked so excited I couldn't help but say the opposite so he could tell me the news.

     "The Ministry's finally gotten the proof that Sirius is innocent!" cried Harry, waving the headline I had seen previously. "I mean, I know you don't like him much but ..."

      "No, no, that's good," I said, sounding a little tired. To tell the truth it didn't bother me too much that Black was free, as I thought fresh air might make Black a little less weird. He had gotten even stranger over the summer due to the amount of time he had spent locked up in Grimmauld Place. The reason why I felt this likely had something to do with his little apology to me at Harry's birthday during the holidays, along with a few other things. The way I saw it was that when Black started examining his conscience, he needed to get out of the house.

    "Does Draco know yet?" I asked Harry curiously.

     "No, he's gone and slept in again, you know how he is."

     "No doubt he will be pleased by the news." This I did believe quite strongly, as Draco had gotten rather fond of Black during the occasions we had gone to Headquarters. I suspected the feeling was mutual, as Black seemed to take just as much interest in Draco's life as Harry's (and that was saying something, as Black was even happy to hear about what colour of toothbrush Harry preferred). Harry told me one evening that he thought this was because like Black's family, Draco's parents hadn't been all that interested in him and Black understood this. I wasn't too surprised Black could relate to Draco's previous situation, as everyone at Hogwarts knew that something was wrong with the Black household. There were conflicting messages being put out, when it came to that family. Regulus had always spouted the usual pureblood nonsense, while his brother made it very clear that he was not anything of the sort. I noticed Regulus got all the letters and packages. I could see why too, because if any Gryffindor had an obsession with showing up Slytherin, Sirius Black topped them all. And with all of the other Blacks in Slytherin, he was bound to clash. I might have even felt bad for him a little if he hadn't been such a prat to me.  

      "Are you coming to breakfast?" Harry asked.

     "In a minute or two," I said, scribbling down one more thing in the already marked up book (While the book was my property, this habit of making notes in books was the main reason Madam Pince hated me with a passion). "You haven't seen Munkastrap, have you?"

       "No," Harry said, frowning. "If I catch sight of him I'll tell you."

       I shook my head. That cat was always off somewhere else. I still had my suspicions that he had found some very fun plants down in the greenhouses, as Pomona kept a good supply of catnip down there.  I chuckled slightly, for the thought of fun plants reminded me of the summer before fifth year when Lily and I grew a certain ‘herb' in a planter in her back garden. Her mother, who was by no means a plant expert, thought that it was oregano (Merlin knows why, the leaves look quite different). We let her go on thinking this, and while we had no plans for our crop except perhaps mix it in with something Petunia was planning to eat (preferably right before a date with Vernon), Mrs. Evans had other ideas. She made spaghetti. Needless to say poor Lily had to attend a family meeting once Mr. and Mrs. Evans had returned to their senses. I could only say I told you so, as I had suggested we just grow it in amongst the weeds that had cropped up in weird places back at my house. Though even then I had to admit that we were worried that my father would find out, and at least the Evans' threw words, not drunken fists. But still, after the spaghetti episode, amidst a slight amount of relief I didn't have any new bruises, I felt really bad for Lily getting in trouble. Even if it had been her that procured the plant in the first place. But I had to admit, the story was actually pretty funny now. Especially because Petunia did have a date with Vernon that night.

     "What are you smiling about?" Harry asked, confused as to why I was chuckling slightly to myself.

      Putting on a straight face I shut my book, and said in the flattest voice possible, "Herbology." 

      Harry cocked his head to one side, and then we went to breakfast.

The End.
End Notes:
Giggle ... Herbology. All things aside, I do hope you all enjoyed that one, and got as much of a kick out of Lily and Sev's mischevous escapades as I did. One of those things that makes you burst out laughing at one in the morning, you know? Cheers!


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