A Season with the Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 1 - Healing

Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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Severus opened his bleary eyes to the cacophony of war that rang out in the distance.

Somewhere in his blurry vision, the shape of a face came in and out of focus as a familiar voice begged him, "Professor!.......Professor Snape, can you hear me?! Hold on!........Hold on!"

Severus sighed tiredly as he gave in to the exhaustion his blood loss had caused and let himself slip into unconsciousness.

While he rested in hopes of meeting death's bitter embrace at last, Harriet Potter gripped his black robes and shouted over to Hogwarts' healer, "Madam Pomfrey! MADAM POMFREY! QUICKLY!"

Across the battered Great Hall, while the Battle of Hogwarts raged on outside, Madam Pomfrey glanced up from her current patient and met Harriet Potter's wide-eyed gaze of mortal dread.

"I'll be right there, Potter! Give me a moment! Too many are in dire straits tonight!" She snapped as she quickly finished mending an injured wizard's arm before she hurried over to Severus.

Harriet stepped aside once the castle's healer knelt next to its fading headmaster, but she refused to leave him.

In the chaos of that dreadful night, Madam Pomfrey began her heroic effort to save Severus Snape's life.

Harriet gladly assisted whenever and however she could, even though that mostly meant handing Madam Pomfrey the gauze bandages she wrapped over the gaping wounds on Severus's throat.

Shocked by the events of the night, no one noticed the grim mask of woe Harriet's face had become as she stared down at her suffering professor.

Harriet Potter had returned to Hogwarts prepared to lose her life.

She had put on a decent ruse.

Her facade had convinced everyone the entire opposite of the truth.

Harriet Potter did not hate Severus Snape.

It was taboo, it was odd, and to many, the notion would have been unbelievable, but Harriet hadn't been afraid of harm befalling herself during the war's final battle.

Instead, she had been afraid the man she secretly cherished would meet his end.

As Madam Pomfrey frantically continued her work, Harriet sincerely hoped their combined efforts of rescue and care would be enough to prevent her darling Severus from passing into the next world.

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Severus expected death.

A part of himself desired it badly.

Regardless, as he blinked his eyes open sometime later, he stared up at the bland, white ceiling of a St. Mungo's hospital room.

He blinked for a moment before a voice spoke, "The war's over. We won......They transported you here once Madam Pomfrey stabilized you."

Severus looked in the direction of the sound and grimaced.

His dark eyes narrowed once he found his least favourite student seated in a metal chair across from his bed.

"Sorry.....I didn't mean to startle you." Harriet said quickly as she extended a cautionary hand towards Severus.

He opened his mouth to snap at her and demand she leave, but instead of words, a dry, gasping gurgle came out.