-a fine line- part two/ sequal

Chapter 3- Back to the beginning

"Stop this at once, Albus! I won't allow a girl half my age who I barely know to take care of me. Isn't there someone else? I don't need a babysitter." Y/N pressed her fingernails in her palm to try and calm her nerves in a failed attempt. She heard the argument (mostly screaming from Severus) all the way through the door in the hospital wing. Albus was now telling Severus his situation. Well, not everything. Severus knows now that a part of his memory had been wiped out and Albus gave brief information about the war. He told him he was clear of all charges against him, that he survived Nagini and brain damage and that they had won.

"Give her a chance. She's the only one available, and she's not going to babysit you. You need the help, you can't even get out of bed alone. Don't worry about her experience, trust me that she'll know what to do. Or would you rather go to St. Mungo's?" Y/N fought the urge to laugh aloud. She had no clue how she was going to handle this situation. No idea on how to help him with the basic things, but luckily Poppy would give her the information she needed.

"Just woke up and I'm in hell again." The low voice complained.

The door opened after perhaps a ten minute silence. She waited patiently for Albus to come out.

"There you are, dear. His chambers are ready for use. I trust you can handle it from here? Just push him to the dungeons and he'll know what to do next. Oh, quick reminder to not use magic on his person. He isn't stable enough for that yet." Y/N nodded but felt confusion rising up at Albus stating; 'just push him to the dungeons'. He left while she went into the small room to see Severus seated in a wheelchair. His hospital gown had been changed to his normal black clothes, but without the robes so it wouldn't get stuck in the wheels.

"Ready?" She went over to him to grab the handles of the wheelchair but was stopped when Severus glared at her.

"I can do it myself." Y/N held her hands in the air to give surrender and bit the inside of her cheek to stop her from laughing as he tried to roll it with his arms. However, he failed multiple times because the strength hasn't even returned to his body yet.

"Let me help you, professor." He didn't say anything but this time, he didn't object when she pushed him out of the room down to the dungeons.

The entire way he had been nagging in his wheelchair. Lucky for him that she chose a secret passageway so other students wouldn't see him in this state. Y/N wouldn't be so cruel to let the man's pride be damaged.

When they arrived at the wooden door, Severus' eyes darted towards her and he snapped his head back to the front. Then whispered the password in hope she didn't hear it: "Yellow" Y/N bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. She knew it was his favorite color although he didn't know she knew. Once inside, she looked round the familiar quarters and sighed in relief. The war was over, Severus didn't die and neither did any of her best friends. The only downside was his memory loss. Merlin, how she craved to feel those strong arms around her again with her head tucked underneath his chin while one hand played with her hair.

"Yellow?" She said to break the silence when they both stood, well him sitting, in the living room.

"Yes." He bit back and refused to meet her eyes.

"Let me guess....favorite color, right?" He frowned and turned back towards her as best as he could and gave a small nod.

"Correct." Severus began looking through the quarters from his sitting position while Y/N shuffled her feet towards the kitchen to make some tea. She found the right things almost immediately and went to work when she heard a voice from the other room.

"Where's Nizzy?"
"Nizzy?" She questioned, still in the kitchen so half yelling.

"My house elf." Y/N swallowed thickly and hesitated on how to bring the news. He didn't have a house elf. She heard him talk about her one or two times and said she passed away after an accident.

"She's er- on vacation." She cursed softly under her breath when she received a skeptical look from Severus who sighed moments after.

"I don't like people lying to me," He said with a casual tone in his voice, almost bored sounding but she knew it was only the way he acted in front of 'new' people.
"I'm sorry. I think she passed away." He nodded and let his gaze dart over the room once more and excused himself to the bedroom. Y/N sat down on the couch and nervously bit her lip.

After a brief conversation where a few words were exchanged, Severus retired to the bedroom and locked himself up until dinner. Y/N knocked politely on the door but it didn't open, nor did she hear an answer. She grew worried when she kept knocking and there was still no sound on the other side of the wooden door.

"Sir?" She ignored the feelings it brought up from those years she was teached by him and opened the door.

He was nowhere to be seen but the door to the bathroom was open so she carefully peeked around the corner. She heard him swear under his breath and giggled slightly at the sight, which was the wrong move because he spun around and glared at her.

It seemed like he was trying to shower because of the running water and him being shirtless. Severus now knew it was foolish to even try without help from someone because of his legs but he wouldn't let that girl do it.

"Do you need help?" Y/N tried to say as gently as possible, to not scare him.

"No, I'm perfectly fine like this miss L/N." She held her breath at hearing her last name like he did when she was a student and ignored the knife stabbing her in the back.

"Doesn't look like you're fine," She snapped back. Severus' eyes widened. No human, except for the Dark Lord himself, had spoken to him in that matter without feeling frightened. Potter didn't count, because Severus wasn't stupid enough to not read his thoughts and mostly tried to hold in his smirk when he figured out he was scared of him.

"You know, you only needed to ask if you needed help." Severus rolled his eyes and picked up the shirt that had fallen on the floor while Y/N couldn't stop staring at the naked chest. It had been a couple of months since she'd seen it and it was even more perfect than before. There was a small trail of dark, curly hair going to his navel and disappearing behind the trousers.

"No." He simply said. Y/N dragged a hand over her face and sighed inwards. He'd always been too stubborn to accept help, especially in the beginning but now she was back where she started after finally thinking this phase was over.

"You haven't had a shower in forever. You practically lived with cleaning spells. Honestly, it's the only thing my wand has seen for months. You'll feel refreshed, promise." But Severus backed away from her and threw his shirt on with a blush.

"No," He barked and immediately started coughing from talking rather loudly.

"Why not?" She argued back. After having spent so much time with him while the war was in full speed, she'd grown immune to his defensive mechanism. Perhaps it wasn't the best thing to react this way, especially with Severus not even knowing how much she actually knew about him.

"I don't want that. You're a woman. A girl." He sneered. Her mouth hung open at the statement and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't you dare call me a girl. I tried to be respectful and professional but you're just nagging about everything." She threw her hands up in the air in frustration while Severus watched with a grimace on his face.

"I. Don't. Need. Help! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and don't need a woman half my age to undress me." He shouted, which caused his throat to burn and he began coughing more.

"Fine, suit yourself. Call me if you need me. It's not like I haven't seen all of you before" She muttered the last part and with that, she walked out of the bathroom without looking back and failing to notice Severus' gasp at the nerve she got to talk to him like that.