Memories -English Version-

Chapter 10

The next morning Severus slowly came to. He felt something warm wrapped around his hand. Slowly and cautiously he tried to open his eyes but quickly shut them again. Everything around him was just way too bright, too white. He convinced himself to try it again and, much more slowly this time, he opened them again and successfully so. 

After some time of seeing nothing due to the lighting, he was able to finally take a look at his surroundings. He tried to move his head to look what that warm something on his hand was but suddenly a sharp pain was shooting through his whole body. 

At that moment Poppy Pomfrey came running towards him: "Severus, you're awake! Are you in pain?" 

Without waiting for his answer she scurried away and returned with various potions. Quickly, she dumped vial after vial down his throat, and instantly he felt the pain fading away. With no pain left he moved his head and saw Hermione's hand in his with her fast asleep in that uncomfortable chair. 

Poppy, who saw what or better who he was looking at, said: "She wouldn't leave." 

He nodded and asked, how long he was asleep and in the infirmary. His voice was still quite hoarse and throaty. 

"A little more than a day. Once she's awake the two of you are free to go but only if you promise me, that you will take your medicine and lay down for a few days. And no strenuous activity, young man", she instructed with a flicker in her grey-blue eyes. He nodded his agreement and closed his eyes again, feeling still very sleepy. 

What exactly did Poppy mean? 

Before long he was fast asleep again.

++++

A few hours later he woke up again because of the pain starting to worsen. Craning his neck to look at Hermione he was looking directly into two caramel-brown eyes that were worriedly watching him. 

"Thank Merlin, you're awake. Do you need something against your pain?", she asked him. 

He nodded and answered throatily: "Yes", and with that, the younger witch was up and running towards Poppy's office. 

"Poppy, he's awake, do you have some painkillers?", she announced hurriedly. 

The calm medi-witch stood up, retrieving some potions and salves and motioned for Hermione to follow her. "Hermione, would you be able to brew some potions for me later on? My storages are becoming emptier each day and I wouldn't want to give Horace's potions to anyone. These are the last ones that Severus did brew for me." 

Hermione agreed, and they went back to the black-haired man. 

"I see that you're awake again. Take these and the pain should subside again." She emptied bottle after bottle and after having applied a salve on his wound, she started talking again. "If you promise me to go and lie down instantly without any repercussions, you are free to go. I'll have someone watch over you." 

He nodded, seemingly very thankful and pleased. 

"I'll take care of him, Poppy. You'll get your potions as fast as possible." 

She smiled warmly at Severus, taking his hand in hers. 

"Take your time, my dear. And should I see you somewhere out of bed, I'll have you know that you'll be very sorry, young man!", reprimanded the medi- witch, releasing him from the infirmary. 

Hermione took the potions and salves and held out a hand for Severus to take. "Come, Sev." 

He hesitantly took it and sat up. 

He tried calling her name to get her attention but was cut off by the young brown-haired woman. 

"Severus, shut it. I don't want to hear anything from you as long as your voice is as hoarse as yours. We're going to go to your chambers, and you'll lie down!", she said, leading him into the dungeons. 

As he was about to retort she looked sternly at him and said: "I'll tell Minerva and Poppy if you don't!" 

She knew that he thought of them as motherly figures and was kind of scared by them. That argument shut him up and without further interruptions, they arrived back in his chambers. They first stepped foot into a homey- looking living room. 

Hermione had Severus settle down on his couch as the long walk was an exhausting one for someone as weak as a still injured Severus. "Calm down a bit while I'm going to prepare your bed, okay?", she asked and without waiting for his response she opened door after door searching for the one which led to his bedroom. 

The first door revealed a big bathroom and the second door hid his personal lab. Another one led her to his small kitchen and the fourth one and next to the last one led her to a nice, warm and bright bedroom. A bedroom no one would have ever thought Severus Snape of all people to have. At least not the Severus everyone knew. The new Severus, as Hermione inwardly referred to him, was more likely to have a bedroom like that, however. Being the ever-curious know-it-all she was, she simply had to open the last door, too. Upon looking into the big room she saw an extensive library stuffed with books, but before she could dive right into it to never come out again she turned her back to the room and went back to retrieve Severus and take him to the bed a house-elf already prepared for him. 

"Hey, Severus. Come, lay down in your bed and sleep a little more. It will do you wonders", she said whilst helping him up and into the bedroom. 

"Thank you. Hermione?", he rasped. 

"Yes, Sev?" 

"I want to apologize to you", he said, while they slowly made their way there. Before he could say for what he wanted to apologize, she interrupted him. 

"Sev, whatever it is, it can wait a little longer. You lay down and rest. Call for me should you require help or anything else, agreed?" 

The former professor nodded defeatedly and let her pull the covers up. 

"Rest, Sev. Everything else will have to wait. It will turn out just fine in the end, you'll see", were the last words he heard her whisper before sleep overtook him. 

Back in the living room, Hermione enchanted the couch to be a bed, and so she settled down for another hour of sleep, too. Still, deep in thought about what he wanted to say, she drifted to sleep only shortly thereafter.