Nothing In This World (BEING EDITED)

XXVII.

Chapter XXVII: The Third Task
Warning: Language, blood, violence, character death

An hour later

Bill Weasley-Malfoy walked into his parents' house, looking for any signs of life. He had just received an urgent owl from Hogwarts saying his presence was needed. He took the stairs by two and pushed his parent's bedroom open. Arthur was on the bed playing with some Muggle artifacts when he looked up and saw his son.

"Oh, what brings you here?" Asked Arthur, tinkering with an old clock. "I thought you were going to get Charlie."

Bill doesn't say anything and stares at his dad, unable to form the correct words. "I was, but something happened." He held out the parchment, and immediately Arthur took it. "Severus has been injured?"

"What happened?" Arthur asked as he read the parchment from Dumbledore. He threw the artifacts aside, forgetting what he was trying to fix.

"He took an arrow to the chest. He's in critical condition." Said Bill. It was the first time Arthur noticed the pain in his son's voice.

Arthur carefully watched his son, and his mind took him back to when the boy was little, and Severus had surprised them with a trip to Paris. Bill had been four years old, and Severus had decided the boy needed a change of scenery. The night before the trip, Arthur and Severus had a huge fight, and Severus ended up being the one to take Bill all over Paris while Arthur followed angrily behind them. Despite the rough start, it was one of his favorite memories of Severus. "How's Harry?" Arthur asked. He stood up and threw on a pair of trousers and a jumper. "How are you, William?"

"He's beside himself. The third task is tomorrow, and this is the last thing he needs on his plate," Bill let's out a heavy sigh wiping his arm across his eyes. "I'm doing alright considering the situation. He's gonna be fine, right dad? I can't lose a parent."

Grabbing his son's hand, they Apparate outside the gates of Hogwarts. They walk through the wards, quickly making their way to the hospital wing.

The air inside the hospital wing was heavy with tension. Professor Severus Snape, the enigmatic Potions Master, lay motionless on a bed, his pale face framed by a tangle of black hair. He had been unconscious for nearly four hours, his breathing shallow and slow. Harry, who had been there since he was admitted, sat in a chair by his bed fast asleep.

Outside the hospital wing, the Weasley-Malfoy family stood together, quietly talking amongst themselves. Arthur, with his fiery red hair and kind eyes, clutched his husband Lucius's arm, his normally haughty expression replaced by worry.

"We have to see him," Bill whispered, his voice filled with determination. "My dad has always been there for us, and now it's our turn to be there for him."

"Easy for you to say, he's your father. He has to be kind to you." Said Ron, his voice filled with malice and anger.

Bill angrily walks towards Ron, stepping in front of his younger brother with a dangerous look on his face. "Don't forget he saved your fucking life too, twice if I'm correct. The least you could do is be there for Harry. So put whatever jealousy you have towards Harry and Snape aside and be here for family."

Arthur nodded in agreement, understanding the depth of his son's sentiments. "You're right, William. We owe him a great debt. He risked his life countless times for us, for Harry, and for our family. The least we could do is show up."

"We may not agree with the way he does things, but you'd all surely be dead if it wasn't for him." Added Lucius.

Draco exchanged a solemn look with the rest of the family, silently acknowledging the part Severus Snape had played in their lives as well. Despite their complicated history, Snape had been the one to protect Harry and the rest of the school.