Harry sighed deeply as he sat on the edge of his four-poster in the Gryffindor sixth year dorms. It felt cold, even though the temperature was comfortable. The walls were bare and the other beds empty, making the dorm feel distinctly unlike home when usually, this was the only place Harry could call home. The trunk that he had been so reluctant to pack and bring along sat at the foot of his bed, unopened and abandoned. Harry still hadn’t changed into his night clothes, nor had he gone down for dinner. In fact, he was trying to avoid everyone all together by locking himself up in Gryffindor Tower.

Slipping off his trainers and ignoring pyjamas all together, Harry lay back on his bed atop the covers, staring up at the crimson canopy above him. He’d never felt so lonely before, even with all the years and summers he had spent at the Dursley’s. He realized after awhile that he wasn’t just lonely; he wanted to talk to Draco. Harry had grown quite use to having Draco there, making him not feel so awkward or alone in his isolation at Snape Cottage. He’d actually grown to like the Slytherin as a friend. Draco had not quite been himself that summer, which was most likely do to his mother’s brutal murder and his own sexual abuse. As unfortunate as it all was, Harry had liked the change. Now Draco was lying alone in a stiff hospital bed, not likely to ever wake again – and it was Harry’s fault.

Harry wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep. He remembered feeling tears rolling down the sides of his face and soaking into his pillow, and then something shifted. He was looking into a blazing hearth, a cold glass held in his hand. Someone knelt on the carpet before him, their hood pulled up far enough to obscure their face. Harry heard a faint hissing and looked down at the massive snake curling around his feet.

“Patience, my darling...You will get him soon after I am done with him...” He hissed slowly in elegant Parseltongue to the agitated serpent.

“Please...I beg you! I tried, we tried! I was not the only one to fail, my Lord. Please!” The figure begged in a rasping, deep male voice. He shuffled closer to Harry on his knees, his head still bent down to avoid meeting Harry’s eyes.

“You deliberately disobeyed my orders to go in full disguise, and you blatantly attacked Potter’s little friends right in front of him. It was supposed to be a stealthy attack, not an obvious ambush! You were in charge of the mission, Briggs, even though Bellatrix would have gladly fronted the attack, I put you in charge. If Ellings wasn’t already dead, he’d be here with you as well. This is the last time you will displease me,” Harry snapped in a high-pitched voice full of venom. He raised his wand, pointing it directly at Briggs’ heart. “Crucio!”

Briggs curled up into a ball with an ear splitting shriek and fell to the floor, writhing as he screamed in agony. Harry let this go on for nearly ten minutes before lifting the spell with a flick of his wand. He gave the man a few seconds to gather himself so that he could kneel once more, taking pity on him so that he could at least die a dignified death on his knees before his Lord instead of a crumpled mess on the floor. “Avada Kedavra!” Harry hissed. The bright green light of the killing curse hit Briggs squarely in the chest, sending him flying back a few feet with a dull thud.

“Dinner is served, Nagini...”

Harry awoke with a gasp on his lips and cold sweat dampening his brow. He felt around for his glasses on his bedside table and shoved them on with trembling hands. Not wanting to fall back asleep and return to Voldemort’s mind, Harry sat up and got out of bed, unsure of what he was doing or where he was going. He needed a distraction, possibly someone to tell what had happened. He didn’t think it was a very significant happenstance that Voldemort had killed one of his Death Eaters, but he was sure the Order would like to know anyways. Without realizing it, Harry ended up in the dungeons, outside the Potions Master’s office. Feeling like he should definitely avoid this confrontation, Harry made to turn around and head up to see if Remus was still up, when he ran directly into Snape.

Severus grasped Harry’s shoulder to steady him as the Gryffindor merely bounced off of him. “Potter, what are you doing down here in the middle of the night?” he asked, his voice sounding more tired than angry.

Harry gulped as he tried to shrug Snape’s hand of his shoulder. This was exactly what he didn’t want to happen. Figuring he may as well tell Snape since he was an Order member, Harry gestured towards Snape’s office door. “Can I talk to you, sir? I...I had a dream. Well, not really a dream. I saw into Voldemort’s mind again.”

Severus had not expected that, of all things, nor had he expected Harry to seek him out after having such a dream. “Alright, come in, Potter.” Severus opened the office door after undoing all of the warding and locking spells on it, his paranoia in full swing after his trying summer. He walked behind his desk and sat down, gesturing for Harry to take the seat in front of the desk. “First things first; why were you not occluding your mind? You’ve not been having trouble with that, have you?”

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his stiff-backed chair, feeling like he was somehow falling into a trap. “No, I haven’t really been having trouble at all. I just...got distracted tonight. I was thinking about...things, and I fell asleep without bringing up my block first. I still haven’t been able to keep up a constant block like Draco was trying to teach me.” Harry blushed and ducked his head, regretting mentioning Draco at all to Snape. He was almost positive Snape was still murderous about what he had done, and fully expected to be denied help now.

Severus sighed tiredly as he sat back in his chair, his hand on his chin. Ever since that morning with running into Abigail, Severus had been unable to find the venom in himself to rant and rave at Harry. “We’ll chalk it up to stress and leave it at that. Do you remember what you saw in this...vision?” Severus asked, trying very hard to avoid confrontation; he was too tired to fight right now.

Harry let out a relieved breath and nodded slowly, the memory of the dream assaulting his mind yet again. “I don’t really think it’s that important, but I thought you’d like to know anyways. Voldemort was torturing one of the Death Eaters that Remus and Draco saw in Diagon Alley. He was yelling at him for failing, and for going without their Death Eater disguises on. He said that he would have killed Ellings too, but he was already dead. He...he killed Briggs and...fed him to Nagini,” Harry said with a grimace, his stomach churning at the memory of that horrible act.

Severus blinked a few times before recovering himself. “You witnessed all of this?” he asked, hoping that Harry only assumed the giant snake belonging to the Dark Lord had eaten Briggs.

“Everything,” said Harry, his nausea increasing slightly. He didn’t realize he had been clutching his stomach until Snape stood up, looked around in a cabinet for a second, then held out a stomach calming draught to him. “Thanks.”

Severus sat back down behind his desk, his hands clasped in front of him. Harry was right, it wasn’t really of that much importance that the Dark Lord had killed one of his own, but knowing that nothing the Dark Lord did was insignificant, Severus began to analyze the situation. “There was nothing else of significance that you can think of?”

Harry shook his head, casting his mind back once again. The only thing he hadn’t told Snape yet was Voldemort’s comment about Bellatrix, but again, he didn’t think that was anything important either. “Not really. He did say that he had put Briggs in charge, despite Bellatrix being willing to head the mission herself. I don’t understand why Voldemort would have chosen an outer circle Death Eater when he could have used his inner-circle pet to head such an important mission.”

Severus smirked at Harry’s description of Bellatrix and his surprisingly intelligent insight. “I believe the Dark Lord refrained from sending his prized inner-circle pet, as you described her, because he was trying to protect her.” Something clicked in his mind and it all fell into place, making him sit up straighter and scoot his chair back with a loud scrapping noise. “It was a setup. That was not the first time Ellings and Briggs had failed to follow orders correctly, and he knew they would either be captured or killed. He knew you and Draco would be there getting your school things because he intercepted your letters; that’s why they came so late. He knew you would sacrifice yourself to save your friends, and that Draco was with you. He planned this all to try and get rid of Draco once and for all...to punish me.”

Harry sat gaping at the Potions Master, trying to process all the information he had just learned. “How could you possibly know that? I don’t understand –”

“I know because that is how the Dark Lord works. It all makes sense now after what you’ve told me of your dream. I believe the dream may have even been staged, or at least purposely shown to you. I need to go speak with Dumbledore.” Severus stood up and moved towards the door, then stopped and turned back to look at Harry. “Stay here; I’m not done with you.”

Harry nodded and stayed put, fearing what else exactly Snape was going to have to say to him. Was he somehow going to blame Harry for the setup? Harry stood up and started pacing around the office, his nerves stopping him from sitting still.

Ten minutes passed before the door to Snape’s office opened once more, though to Harry it felt like hours. He stopped in his pacing and turned towards Snape, who looked almost faintly exhausted now. Harry was almost tempted to help the man to his chair, but figured that Snape’s pride would not appreciate that. However, when Snape stepped into the candle light, Harry saw that the man was dramatically more pale than usual, and that was saying something.

“Sir, are you feeling alright?” Harry asked as he took a step forward towards the Potions Master.

Severus took a step forward and felt the room tip dangerously around him. He leaned forward heavily against his desk, sending a stack of parchments cascading to the floor. If not for Harry’s quick movements, he would surely have fallen over, but instead was being held up by the surprisingly strong Gryffindor. “Apparently not,” he muttered in an annoyed fashion, trying to regain his balance and support his own weight again.

With help from Harry, Snape was sitting back in his office chair behind his desk, breathing like he had just run a mile. Harry stood next to the chair, hovering over Snape, more worried than was healthy for someone who was supposed to hate him. “Do you need anything, sir?”

“A glass of firewhiskey and a good night’s sleep, but that’s beside the point. Headmaster Dumbledore agrees with my findings that the ambush in Diagon Alley was a setup. Every last detail...The bastard knew exactly what would happen, though he did expect Draco to die, not fall into a coma. I should have seen this coming, I should have listened to Remus and left you and Draco at the cottage, but I didn’t. I let this happen, and here I am blaming you for trying to protect the people you care about, when that’s what I failed to do myself,” Severus said, his head cradled tiredly in his palm.

Harry frowned at the Potions Professor, feeling strangely liberated by his words. It sounded as if Snape was removing the blame from Harry and placing it upon himself in a fit of self-depreciation. Harry wasn't sure if he should consider that a good thing or not. "Sir, I don't really think you should blame yourself either. There was no way either of us could have known it was a setup. Not even Dumbledore knew, and he's supposed to be the all-knowing Leader of the Light. It's as simple as this; the whole thing was an accident on our part, but intentional on Voldemort’s. The only person you should be blaming is him," Harry said in a matter of fact way. Maybe he was feeling brave and that's why he wasn't cowering away from Snape like any other sane person would have, but he felt like he needed to reassure Snape that Draco's current situation was not his fault; otherwise, who else was going to save the Potions Master from himself?

Severus felt distinctly wrong footed, being comforted by Harry Potter of all people. What was the world coming to, and how did he end up in this strange position to start with? Ah, the Vow - that's how it all started. Well, if Severus were honest with himself, it started with his love-sick promise to his dead best friend, but then again he was not bound to that under penalty of death like the Vow he had taken with Dumbledore. He had essentially dug his own grave, and now he had to lie in it, with Harry at his shoulder for the foreseeable future. Oh what a grand existence it was.

"Please stop hovering over me, Potter. As much as I may have needed your assistance before, I am sure I can take care of myself now." Severus sat back in his chair and waited for Potter to move to the chair across from him, having to prompt him to move by a raised eyebrow and an annoyed gesture towards said seat.

"I appreciate your, shall we say, passionate defending of my pride, but I am mature enough to take responsibility for my mistakes. I did not do my job as a godfather properly, and it is partially my fault that Draco is lying comatose in the infirmary; I will not take full credit if that will make you feel better."

"Not really, sir, but I do kind of understand where you're coming from. It's my fault as well; I should never have exposed myself like that. It's just, sometimes when I see people I care about in danger, I don't think about the repercussions of my actions; I just act. It's definitely a character flaw, I'll admit that. I am truly sorry, Professor; I never meant for Draco to get hurt, and I'll do everything I can to try and fix it," Harry said in earnest. He couldn't stand to feel Snape's disappointment in him for much longer, as strange as that notion was.

Severus nodded curtly, finally willing to let his venomous attitude towards Harry go in favour of a truce. After all, if he had to be stuck with the righteous Gryffindor for the remainder of the war, they might as well be stuck together in peace rather than hate. "Thank you, Harry, for admitting to your mistake and apologizing for it. I must admit that I was a little too harsh with you, but you must understand that Draco is all I have left in this world, and vice versa; any parent would have overreacted accordingly. However, it was not only Draco I failed to protect. You were my responsibility as well, and if not for Draco's uncharacteristic self-sacrifice, you would be in Draco's place now. As unfortunate as it is that he is injured and may never recover, it would have been more devastating a blow if it were you in the coma.”

Harry opened his mouth to argue right away, immediately feeling like he needed to defend Draco since the Slytherin could not defend himself. Besides, why would Snape say such a thing about his own godson? However, Snape raised a hand to silence Harry before he could say a word.

“Before you say anything, I already know that you will wish to deny this, to claim that you are no more important than my godson, but that is the main reason why I know now that I have mistaken your humbleness for cockiness; you don't even realize how important you are, and you do not want the fame that comes with your prophesized duties. You are the very essence of selflessness; your hero-complex, or saving-people-thing, as it has been christened, is a perfect example of such. I would never admit to such a thing if I did not believe fully in it, and you have known me long enough to know that is the truth."

Harry felt his chest ache strangely at Snape’s words. He’d only ever felt that pain when Sirius had expressed pride in him, or when Remus acted fatherly towards him. He felt buoyed by Snape’s confession, and it worried him that he felt like he needed that feeling from the Potions Master to survive. “Thank you, sir. I…You’re right, I don’t want the fame – I never have, and never will. I mean, if it ends up being useful in the war as a sort of propaganda technique, then I guess I’ll use it to my advantage, but other than that, I wish everyone would just let me live my life in peace. Especially Rita Skeeter.”

“Yes, she is a piece of work, Rita. I’m glad you take using your fame as propaganda as an option. It could very well help the Order, your incredible level of influence in the Ministry and Wizarding world in general.” Severus sighed deeply as he glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly four in the morning. “Well, Harry, is there anything else you wish to discuss? I’ve been up for nearly forty-eight hours already, and there’s an important staff meeting tomorrow that I must attend.”

Harry shook his head as he made to stand up and head towards the office door to leave Snape in peace for the night. “No, Professor, I think that’s all for now. Sorry for keeping you up even later,” Harry said apologetically as he walked backwards to the door, his exhaustion starting to catch up with him as he mentally protested all the many flights of stairs he was going to have to climb to get back to his own dormitory in Gryffindor Tower.

“It is no matter. In fact, I am glad you came to me after witnessing such a thing, as much as I wish you would learn to constantly block your mind. Perhaps after the year is started and my psyche is more recovered, I can start teaching you again in Draco’s place. If you should have another vision, do not hesitate to seek me out once more, no matter the time,” said Severus, his firm tone not giving away just how exhausted he was.

“I will, sir; thank you. Do you need anything before I go?” Harry asked, thinking maybe he should help Snape to his quarters, but, again, feeling like he should spare the man’s pride and only help if asked directly. The mixed emotions swimming in his stomach were starting to make him feel queasy again. As much as he wanted to hate this man, to blame him for any number of things, Harry was finding that harder and harder to do.

Severus shook his head as he stood and bent down to collect the parchments he had displaced earlier. His trip up the stairs to Dumbledore’s office and back down was what took so much out of him, but after his short rest, he felt good enough to straighten up his office and get to bed on his own just fine. He felt disconcertingly touched that Harry was willing to help him so much, and he tried to squash down that warm feeling as much as he could, fearing he was going much too soft after caring for the boy. “I’m fine, Harry. Get to bed; you must be as exhausted as I am.”

Harry nodded in tired agreement as he turned towards the door and turned the rickety handle, pulling the heavy dungeon door open. He looked back at Snape, who was standing up once more and arranging the parchment on his desk in a distracted way. “Goodnight, Professor.”

“Goodnight, Harry,” Severus said quietly, feeling even more agitated and frightened as the boys’ given name no longer sounded like a foreign curse on his tongue.

S~S~S~S

The next morning, technically five hours after Severus’ chat with Harry, all of the Hogwarts staff gathered together in the staff room for the beginning of term staff meeting. Professor Sprout was leaning towards Professor Sinistra, whispering about Remus’ return to the Defence Against the Dark Arts post. Professor Trelawney was staring around the room, her highly magnified glasses making her look even more alien than she acted. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were chatting merrily about plans for a Winter Ball, while Hagrid was debating with Madame Hooch about whether or not to use the ten foot or twenty foot pumpkins for the Halloween feast.

Severus sat down beside Remus, who smiled lightly at him. He leaned a bit closer to the Potions Master and whispered, “You look like death warmed over, Severus. Did you get any sleep last night at all?”

Severus straightened his robes around him agitatedly, wishing he was still in his bed instead of attending the same exact meeting Dumbledore held every term. He glared slightly at Remus and took a quick look around to see if anyone noticed him conversing with the werewolf. Speaking with new staff like he was an old friend was distinctly un-Snape-like behaviour, and he felt like he had already gone too soft as it was with his changing relationship with Harry…Potter, whoever the boy was. He needed to keep up his reputation, after all. “Thanks, Lupin – likewise. I slept a few hours after dealing with Potter’s excursion into Voldemort’s mind yet again last night,” Severus said, trying to sound like it had been a nuisance, when really, he didn’t mind helping Harry out, as he had learned of the setup because of it.

Remus’ eyebrow shot up questioningly, but before he could say anything, Dumbledore stood from the head of the table and raised his hand slowly to quiet down all of the Professors.

“Thank you all for being here for the start of term staff meeting. It’s the usual business most of you hear every year, but we have a new staff member this year.” Dumbledore gestured to Remus, who nodded in recognition.

“As most of you are aware, Remus has indeed taught here before, but because of some…bad press, shall we say, he could not continue on with us. However, with the Wizengamot’s surprisingly fair new Legislation for Wizards who suffer from Lycanthropy, it is now illegal to refuse employment to Mr. Lupin based on his condition. A letter has been sent out to all the parents explaining this new law, and I am happy to say that only two students have been withdrawn from Hogwarts and switched to Durmstrang, and they were first years to start this year. So, let us discuss some upcoming events and a few tweaks in rules for House points, then we’ll have some lunch!”

An hour later, the staff room emptied out quickly as everyone headed off to a hearty Hogwarts lunch. Remus purposely hung back to wait for Severus, who was approaching Dumbledore.

“Sir, I was wondering if I may speak with you about Potter sometime after lunch,” said Severus, his arms crossed over his chest in a standoffish way. He wasn’t in the best of moods being sleep deprived, and what he wanted to discuss with Dumbledore was already weighing on most of his patience. However, he had made up his mind and he couldn’t bring himself to change it now.

Dumbledore fixed his half-moon spectacles on the bridge of his nose as he gathered up a few folders full of parchment and straightened them in his hands. He looked up at Severus and fixed him with his piercing gaze for a few minutes before nodding curtly. “I’m sure I can find some time for you, Severus. Speaking of Mr. Potter, he skived off breakfast this morning. Is everything alright after his dream last night?”

“He probably just slept in, as it was nearly four in the morning when he returned to his dorm. I’m sure he’ll come down for lunch. If not, maybe Remus would be willing to go and coax him out of his hiding place and join the living,” Severus said, sounding difficult with his bad mood coming through quite clearly.

Dumbledore just smiled and nodded at Severus and Remus before leaving the staff room, his eccentric blue robes sweeping the ground behind him.

Remus stood with his hip leaning against the long table in the centre of the room, looking expectantly at Snape. “So, what happened last night?”

Severus leaned back against the wall, his arms still crossed over his chest. He was still utterly exhausted, but at least he was standing steady on his feet. “I was on my way down to my office after leaving your quarters last night after dinner. When I got down there, Potter was standing in front of my office door, looking like a unicorn caught with a Lumos. He said he had a dream about Voldemort, so I took him into my office and spoke with him about it. I realized after he told me what he’d seen that the attack in Diagon Alley was most definitely a setup. I went to consult Dumbledore about my discovery and he agrees with me. He said he’s meeting with the Order Aurors tomorrow to discuss it with them, whatever that means.”

“You left my room at one. You said it was nearly four when Harry went back to bed, just now. You talked to him for four hours? Is he alright?” Remus asked curiously, finding it difficult to believe Harry would willingly spend that much time in Snape’s presence, and vice versa.

“Well, he described the dream to me, which made him a bit sick, then after my epiphany about the setup, I went to speak with Dumbledore and was gone for about fifteen minutes, and when I came back, I had a discussion with Potter. Suffice it to say we have reached a truce, or else I have decided to stop blaming him for what happened to Draco. Yes, we talked for a long time, and as far as I know, he’s perfectly fine.” Severus purposely left out the part where he was so exhausted he nearly collapsed and Harry had to help him to his chair. Remus had told him the night before that he should get to bed because he hadn’t slept in so long, but Severus had opted to stay with him for a bit longer.

Remus blinked a few times in shock before taking a few steps towards Snape with a soft smile on his face. “Did you really forgive him? You weren’t being an arse to him the whole time?”

Severus bristled a bit and his glare let it be known that he was annoyed. “Forgiving and forgetting are two different things, Remus. I’m still trying to convince myself that it was the Dark Lord’s fault, not Harry’s; give me some time. I was not an arse to him at all, in fact. I was much too exhausted to be venomous.” Oops, shouldn’t have let that slip.

“I told you to go to bed straight after dinner last night, but you refused! You’re still exhausted even now. I want you to eat a quick lunch and get to bed; it’s not healthy for you be sleep deprived,” Remus said in a commanding voice, hoping that Snape would actually listen to him this time.

“Are you calling me old, Lupin?”

“No, I’m calling you recently injured and still recovering. Your body cannot heal itself if you do not sleep, Severus. You’ve nothing else to do today, correct?”

Severus shook his head and sighed deeply, wishing that he could just simply go back to sleep so he wouldn’t have to see Draco’s pale and still form again. “Abigail is transferring Draco to the Hogwarts infirmary this afternoon. I told her I’d be there to oversee. Besides, I want to be briefed on what exactly Poppy is to do for him so I know what’s being administered.”

Remus cocked an eyebrow at the Potions Professor, feeling like he should know the name Abigail, and failing to remember from where. “Abigail? You’ve never been one to use first names, Sev. Someone you know well?”

Severus fought to keep the blush from staining his cheeks as he remembered just how well he knew Abigail. He regained control of himself and nodded curtly. “She’s an old friend from Hogwarts. I’m sure you remember her; she was the Slytherin female Prefect. You probably knew her from your duties.”

Remus bit his lip in thought as he tried to cast his mind that far back into his past. It only took a moment for realization to hit. “Abby Smithson? The one who people always thought was Lily’s evil twin? I didn’t realize you’d been friends with her back then,” Remus reminisced with a small chuckle. Abby had actually been a very kind girl, but being a Slytherin and looking strikingly similar to Lily, she was always dubbed ‘the evil twin’.

Severus let a small smile trace his lips as he nodded with a quiet laugh of his own. “Yes, that Abby. I became very good friends with her after...after the falling out between Lily and myself. I didn’t even realize it was her until yesterday morning when I went to speak with her about transferring Draco. She never seemed like the Healer type, as she was dreadful at potions, from what I can remember.” Severus stopped speaking as he realized he was rambling on. He knew if he continued, it would be abundantly obvious just how good of friends they had been.

Remus smiled knowingly at the Potions Professor, not quite as dim witted as Severus tended to believe he was. Besides, with the full moon approaching, Remus could smell the pheromones coming in waves off of Snape when he talked about Abigail. “You sound quite fond of Healer Smithson,” Remus drawled, trying to bait the uneasily baited man.

Severus let a slight blush slide as he averted his eyes a bit, not aware that that had been a dead giveaway. “Well, she was practically my only true friend after Lily did away with me. She saved me those last two and a half years.” Severus’ blush deepened as he realized what he had said. He cleared his throat and proceeded to pretend like he had not said anything. “We should see if Harry is at lunch, and if not, find him.”

Remus smirked a bit but nodded his acquiesce as he followed Severus out of the staff room and into the Great Hall for lunch.

Upon entering, both men spotted Harry sitting beside Dumbledore immediately, looking much less distressed and very clean from a recent shower. Remus sighed audibly in relief, while Severus’ relief was not quite as obvious. They walked over and slid onto the bench beside Harry, not commenting on his finally surfacing to spare him the embarrassment. Lunch passed quite amiably that day.

S~S~S~S

“I’ve set up his bed over here at the end of the ward closest to my office so I can keep a closer eye on him. If it’s going to be a longer stay than is preferable, I’ll be glad to move him to a private room if you’d like, but I’d like to keep him where I can see him for the beginning.” Madam Pomfrey was bustling around smoothing down the sheets and straightening the pillows on a plush, slightly nicer than average hospital bed at the end of the ward.

Severus just nodded appreciatively as he watched the Matron obsess over the bed and straighten out the different potions on the bedside table. Just then, the infirmary doors opened and a stretcher floated it, directed by Abigail, who walked slowly behind it. She smiled lightly at Severus as she passed him and lined Draco’s stretcher up with the bed so he could be moved over.

“Would you mind giving me a hand, Severus? Your son isn’t the lightest kid,” Abby teased lightly as she moved around the stretcher to remove the blanket from the pale Slytherin.

Severus moved forward and helped lift Draco from the stretcher to the hospital bed, feeling a sense of revulsion as Draco’s limp and slightly cold body lay still in his hands. It looked and felt too much like Draco was dead instead of merely asleep, and it greatly bothered Severus. He moved away from the bed as both Abigail and Madam Pomfrey began covering Draco up and positioning him more comfortably.

Abigail ran a diagnostic spell over Draco and hummed slightly as she conjured his chart out of thin air and began scribbling on it with a muggle pen. She handed the chart off to Severus in a nonchalant way and summoned a purple potion out of the large bag she had brought in with her. She gently pried open Draco’s mouth and poured the potion in, using the same swallowing spell she usually used on comatose patients to insure the potion was ingested. “His temperature is slightly too low. I think the lack of proper foods has lowered his iron levels. I’m going to start adding an iron replacement regimen to his normal potions, alright, Poppy?” Abigail instructed as she took the chart from Severus again and flipped through it before writing something down once more. She was obviously very good at her job.

“So I have a list here of all the potions that need to be administered regularly. There is a very specific schedule that must be followed, so pay close attention to the times that these need to be given at. A diagnostic spell needs to be performed every three hours until nine in the evening, starting again at seven in the morning. A cleaning and refreshening charm needs to be used daily, even twice or three times if you feel it’s necessary. Bed linens to be changed every three days, and he needs to be half-elevated for at least six hours a day. Leg stretches and rotating of joints and neck needs to be performed twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening. His feeding schedule is underneath his potion regimen schedule. He takes different nutrients at different times, so make sure you pay attention to which nutrient potion you administer in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

Visitors are allowed between seven in the morning and nine at night, and any other time if they’re family or close friends approved by Professor Snape. Talking to him regularly while caring for him can stimulate brain activity and produce some responses, like muscle spasms, fluttering eye lids, and what appears to be quick smiles, which are tightening of the muscles around the lips. It is not known for sure, but he may be able to hear and comprehend everything we say around him, so be careful what you say and make sure when you speak to him, it’s reassuring and hopeful. Hearing familiar voices can also stimulate the brain and possibly help in his recovering consciousness, so it is greatly encouraged.

Constantly monitor his body temperature and administer cooling and heating charms as needed. If he should respond abnormally, have a bad diagnostic check, or wake up, contact myself or Healer Jacobs if I am not on duty, but I would like to be notified either way. I can be contacted at the hospital or at home at any time, so don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Are there any questions at present moment?” Abby asked with a bright smile, knowing full well that the poor Hogwarts Matron was going to be extremely overwhelmed with Draco’s care and her own Mediwitch duties for the rest of the Wizarding school. She’d have to make it a point to check up on the patient and Mediwitch often.

Severus inclined his head and waited to see if Poppy had any questions before asking his own. “How often will you or Healer Jacobs be coming to check on Draco, and is it possible that I can be updated regularly on his condition?”

Abby smiled knowingly and nodded gently. “I will try to make it every day that I am on duty, and even when I’m not; basically, as often as I can. Draco is one of my major patients because he does show potential of recovering, so I’m focusing a lot on him. Most of my other comatose patients have been that way for many months, and even years and show very little to no sign of recovery, not that that makes them any less important; just less promising. Healer Jacobs is only a resident at this time, so he is not on duty very often, but when he is I’ll be sure to let him know to come and do a check up when he has a chance. Poppy is required to fill out daily comment sheets on his condition and write down his vitals for his records, so I can definitely forward you copies of that. My offer is extended to you as well; do not hesitate to send me an owl or floo my home or office if you have any questions or concerns. I’m here to provide the best care I can for your son; anything less is unacceptable to me personally, and in my position as a Healer at St. Mungo’s.”

Severus nodded appreciatively, letting a small smile trace his lips. He didn’t think he could have found a better Healer for Draco, and was very glad she happened to be someone he knew quite well in the past. “Thank you, very much.”

“You’re very welcome, Professor. No questions, Poppy?” Abigail asked as she turned to the Matron, who still had a slightly crazed look in her eyes at the prospects of her new duties.

“No, not that I can think of right now. I’ll send you an owl if I think of anything. In fact, forgive me if I send you quite a few owls in the beginning. I tend to doubt myself a bit and need reassurance, so prepare for lots of harried owls from me,” Poppy said with a slightly worried laugh.

Abigail laughed and nodded understandingly. “That’s quite alright with me. I was the same way when I first started my internship and residency at St. Mungo’s. My attending nearly cursed my owl, Melody, because I kept sending her at ungodly hours in the morning. I understand the stress with transitioning from Mediwitch to Healer; it’s quite stressful, but I’m always here to help.”

“That’s very comforting to me, Mrs. Smithson, I appreciate it.”

“It’s Mss. Smithson-Gray, actually. My husband passed just after my daughter was born, but I usually just stick to my maiden name now. Painful memories, you know. Well, I must be getting on my way. I have rounds in the children’s clinic this evening. I should be back tomorrow to see how the first day is going. Have a good evening, Poppy, and you too, Severus.”

“To you as well, Abby,” said Poppy with a cheerful smile.

“Have a good evening, Abigail,” Severus said, his soft smile still in place.

Abigail smiled back and added in a sly wink before she headed out of the infirmary and back to the Headmaster’s office, where she would floo back to the hospital.