A change in life

Scars

It is the next morning, one hour before breakfast that Severus finally wakes up. Pain shots through his side as he slowly moves, remembering Severus what had happened to him. His breath comes fast as fear settles in his mind, while he put one hand on his abdomen, trying to feel something. Due to his still flat belly, Severus begins to panic what alarmed Nagini, who immediately begins hissing to him.

"Ssseverusss, be calm. Your hatchlingsss are fine.", Nagini nuzzles against his cheek and slowly Severus catches his breath.

"A-are you're sure?"

"Yesss. Sssilvana isss alssso fine asss isss your foundling."

"And what about you?"

"I'm fine asss well. I got hit, but they patched me up."

"A blessing in disguise, I presume?"

"Indeed. Had I be in my true form, I could have better protect you. I'm sssorry."

"Don't be. We knew the risk from the beginning. We just hadn't thought that this damned witch would lose her temper and try to kill me with all the witnesses around."

"Ssstill. You're mine resssponsssibility, you're my human, my hatchling, and you carriesss my grandhatchlingsss. I couldn't protect you from Tom or the other Death Eatersss, but now when we are finally free, I fail."

"Please Nagini, we both suffered enough and I know you're giving your best to protect me, but sometimes your best isn't enough. And I don't want you to sacrifice yourself to protect me, I don't want to lose you. You have become like a mother to me. I know it's difficult, I don't know what I would do if Silvana might have been hurt. Maybe we can agree that despite everything, it was the best outcome, because we're all still alive?"

"I won't change my form again. I lossst many hatchlingsss the passst yearsss, Tom wasss like a ssson to me, but he lossst hisss way and broke our bond. I don't want to lossse anymore of my family."

"I don't want it either." Severus places a small kiss on Nagini's head.

"Mama?", asked a sleepy Silvana half laying on her mother's chest, but slowly opening her eyes to look up.

"Morning, my sweet angel.", whispered Severus, putting a hand on Silvana's head and combing through her hair with his fingers.

"Mama, I was so scared. You got hurt and wouldn't wake up."

"I'm so sorry, my baby girl."

"Please, don't leave us.", sobbed Silvana, tightening her grip around Severus' hospital gown.

"You know, I cannot promise you that, but I will do my best to not leave you alone. You know that, right?" Silvana nodded, but still couldn't stop her tears. She doesn't want to lose her mother, ever, but she knew her mother couldn't promise not getting hurt or worse.

"How long had I slept anyway?"

"Almost one and a half day.", came Harry's voice next to Severus' bed. He yawned before taking in the features of his mate. Severus' looks still a little pale, but seems not to be in much pain. However, Harry knows that Severus is very good in hiding any discomfort, so he just summons a small vial with a pain potion inside and hands it over.

Severus cocks his head to the side with an arched eyebrow, a little suspicious of what Harry wants to give him. "What is that?"

"It's just a mild pain potion. I'm sure your side is still sore and it would take a few days until the wound is completely healed. It was a very strong cutting spell what Mrs. Weasley threw at you. If the full spell had hit you, you would be dead." Severus stops his moving into a sitting position, eyes wide. He hadn't thought it was that bad, but he now understood why Nagini and Silvana were so upset and sad. It explains also, why Silvana hadn't laid fully on him as usually.