The Resurrection Stone (SNARRY) {#JustWriteIt #AltEnding}

Chapter 2: The Voice

There was Static for a moment before a familiar voice echoed through the speaker...
"Severus?"  
The voice was so uncharacteristically soft and broken that it pained Severus to hear it without comforting it's owner, but he was so shocked all he could do was listen.

"Severus, I know you probably can't hear me. Madam Pomfrey thinks I'm stupid for trying, of course she won't say that but her eyes say it every time she looks our way. It's pity and..." The voice trailed off for a few long moments before continuing
"I don't know if you can feel your body or hear me, but if you can feel then I hope holding your hand is helping, if you can hear me then you should know I'm holding your hand, I'm sorry if it's overstepping but I need to provide some comfort and..." The voice became a whisper 
"I need the comfort too." Severus smiled a little at that, knowing he could help the distraught soul helped him, but he still wasn't convinced that he was needed; anyone can hold someones hand.
"Listen...Severus, you'll probably wake up and start insulting me before I can get a word in, so let me get these words in now. I'm not sorry, I don't pity you, or myself, we were thrown into the world and given instructions from the get go and I can't say I liked it, I can't imagine you liked it very much either but it's what happened and it's what needed to happen. I imagine that had life turned out differently I wouldn't have even dreamed about sitting by your beside while you were unconscious. But here I am, and Severus, I care for you... I need you, there's so much I have to say, to ask...please" The voice cracked with the last word and the person began sobbing. Severus turned off the radio unable to handle the sound of sorrow for much longer. He let a tear escape his eye just like the one he'd given Harry in the boat house. He hauled himself onto the desk and just sat there contemplating everything Dumbledore had said, everything the voice told him. His mind was racing with decisions, the biggest and first one was whether or not to return to the place where that broken voice had come from. 

He turned the radio on again and found multiple voices this time, it appeared at least a few days had passed since he turned the radio off less than ten minutes ago.
"Come on, it's the holidays, you shouldn't be sitting here alone"
"I'm not alone" The familiar voice from earlier said
"Stop kidding yourself, he's never going to wake up mate" A new voice said
"I'm sorry to tell you this but he has a point, if Severus Snape hasn't woken up yet I'm afraid he probably never will, and on the off-chance that he does he is very unlikely to make a full recovery, he's probably better off dead" Poppy said despairingly 
"NO! No. I will not accept that. Please. Leave us" The original voice said. Severus felt touched that someone cared so much whether he lived or not. He decided. He wanted to live, he wanted to be able to tell the owner of that voice that he heard everything, he wanted to tell the owner of that voice that he cared too, he wanted to tell the owner of that voice-
"Please. Please Severus wake up. I don't know if I can stand losing anyone else, if you leave me... If you go..." The voice adopted a slow deep tone as he sung one lyric from a muggle band "Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go" Severus knew that meant the owner of the voice might be tempted to do away with himself if he (Severus) didn't wake. It broke his heart. That was the final straw for him. He stood and loudly declared that he wanted to return to life. A potion appeared in front of Severus and he took it examining it carefully. The potion inside the bottle was as white as everything in the room if not whiter, though that is probably impossible. The bottle was only a few inches tall and had an easy to drink from hole at the top. A small scribble on the bottle said 'To Return'. Severus closed his eyes and downed the potion but not before hearing Poppy say from the radio

"We'll be sending Severus to Saint Mungo's in the Morning where the healer will decide if they should take care of him or... let him rest in piece. I'm sorry Mr Potter but it doesn't look good"

                     ~                   #                   ~  

Severus felt temporarily paralysed but he opened his eyes. When he did he saw a pair of sad green ones shining down at him and for the first time since he'd been unconscious he felt Harry's hand wrapped tightly around his own.
"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey! He's awake!" Severus heard the Medi-Witch bustling over towards them and saw Harry's tears only they weren't the kind he'd heard on the radio, these were tears of joy. Severus reached up a hand to Harry's cheek and wiped them away without thinking about his actions just happy to be able to help. 

When Madam Pomfrey arrived she tried to shoo Harry away but Severus grabbed his hand tighter and managed to utter 
"Harry, Stay, Without, Him, Dead" Damn my speech, he thought. But he seemed to get his message across because Poppy just warned Harry to stay out of the way while she worked. Poppy ran any and all tests she had and in the end decided Severus was lucky to be alive and that he would make a full recovery because the venom from Nagini had been drained whilst he was unconscious so all that was left was regaining the use of his limbs which he would easily do by walking and eating and doing the usual day-to-day routines, though he knew he'd have to take it slowly to begin with. Madam Pomfrey rushed to her office to send the Headmistress a Patronus (she'd been told to inform her if any development was had), due to it being the holidays Severus was Poppy's only patient and Harry hadn't been bothered by anyone (other than Madam Pomfrey). 
"Thank you Harry" Severus said now with full and proper speech again,
"Professor?" Harry questioned
"Severus when not at school, please Harry"

"But we are at school, Professor Snape" Severus wanted to reach up and smack Harry over the head for the smart ass comment but his body was still restricted to very little movements
"Sorry Severus, I had to" Harry said with a gigantic smirk across his features that made him look much younger and happier, not that he was old.
"Much better, Potter"
"What happened to Harry?" Harry teased
"Habit." Severus shrugged but before Harry had a chance to respond The Headmistress entered the room and made a bee-line for Severus. 

"How are you Severus?" Minerva asked
"Aside from partially paralysed Great"
"Good. Now I'm sorry to discuss business but I was just fire-calling some people and we have decided that the 7th years from last year will return this year for and 8th year since there was a war. So on that note, Mr Potter, would you be interested in returning to this school for another year?"
"Yes Headmistress, more than happy" Harry squeezed Snape's hand in a cheeky way that told the older man Harry Potter had plans,
"Until then Headmistress, may I remain at this school, it is sort of my home and I can help you rebuild if you need it"
"That would be no problem at all Mr Potter however I will get a room set up for you as you are currently unable to return to Gryffindor tower as it is not School time"
"Indeed Headmistress, but I was thinking and came to the conclusion that I could have a room in the dungeons, No doubt Professor Snape will be more comfortable in his own quarters and Professor Snape will need all the help he can get to start with, I'd only be too happy to do so" Severus had to hide his smirk, he suspected Harry would do something like this to keep an eye on him. Surprisingly to everyone including Severus himself he spoke 
"Mr Potter is welcome to share my chambers, I have a spare bedroom that was used to house some of my Potions equipment but I highly doubt I'll be needing it anytime soon."
"Then it's settled. Good Day to you all, get better Severus" With that Minerva left the Infirmary and went back to her work. Harry sunk back into the chair by the bed, fingers still intertwined with Severus'. Severus lay back down deciding he needed rest and soon enough they were both asleep.