Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Poppy Pomfrey, matron and mistress of Hogwarts infirmary, was having a nice little chat with her niece in her niece's kitchen when Draco Malfoy stormed in, grabbed the dumbstruck woman by the arms, and Disapparated with her without further notice. It was late, it was cool outside, she didn't have her shawl, and she disliked the sensation of being kidnapped profoundly.

Shouting, hitting, even drawing a wand was very obviously useless, as the young man just dragged her on towards a house, a door, then into a hall and finally upstairs, ignoring her protests entirely.

"You're needed, woman," Draco hissed and pushed the door to Snape's room open with his shoulder, pulling Madam Pomfrey after him. "Get in here, stop yowling, and do your job."

With those harsh words, he released her, and Poppy Pomfrey was finally able to make sure all her arms and legs had made it into that dim-lit room and that her head hadn't been left behind, either. With dignity, she straightened out her dress and pushed her foot deeper into the slipper she had nearly lost during the rash journey. Then she adjusted her glasses and took a look round.

"Remus," she greeted the man who sat on the bed. "Are you injured? Why are you here? How did you find Draco – I thought's he's on the run! Honestly, a few answers would be nice!" Then she took a step and saw that the werewolf, settled against the bed's headboard, held someone in his arms. Someone male.

Now that was unusual – Madam Pomfrey had been sure Remus Lupin was straight. But then... why would Draco drag her here if no one was in danger? She took a step and tried to figure out what was going on.

Then she smelled blood.

A tiny shiver run down the matron's spine and thus told her that things here were dire. "Truly, Draco, the light in here is a catastrophe," she complained, casting another Lumos. "How am I supposed to see a thing if there's barely light?"

Remus, not moving, said quietly, "Poppy, if you..."

More light brought more details, and Madam Pomfrey wasn't interested in Remus any longer. With one experienced look, she had taken in the tableau, had seen that the werewolf was maybe a little tired, but otherwise fine, but that the other man, the man with the pale skin, the clearly unconscious and wounded man, was not in a good condition at all.

"What happened here?" she demanded to know and stepped close to the bed. "Who is this anyway, and... he looks familiar."

Another step.

"Oh. My. Gods," the matron said and rushed round the bed to examine the unconscious man's face more closely. It had been half covered by long, black, distinctly damp hair, but Poppy Pomfrey would recognise this man anywhere and under whatever circumstances nevertheless – she had looked after him and had healed his various injuries far too often in the past two decades to ever forget as much as the look of his limp hand upon the bedcover, not to speak about his face.

She reacted remarkably coolly. "Ah, Severus," she said and sat on the bed, feeling the Potions master's pulse on his exposed throat. "I should have known that it would take more than a stupid snake to kill you. And I should have been more suspicious when we didn't find your body." Absently, she waved her wand, and a big bag appeared by her side. Rummaging in it, not ever taking her eyes of Snape, she brought out a phial.

"How long has he been unconscious?" she asked, taking Snape's bony wrist in hers. A moment later, she had used her wand to inject him with the phial's content. "Blood-Replenishing Potion," she explained. "He certainly needs it, by the looks of him."

Draco came next to the bed. "I left here three hours ago; bit more than that, I'd say," he answered, and Remus just nodded.

"I hope you didn't try to use binding spells on him," the matron grumbled, checking on Snape's life signs with a complicated spell. "He's highly objective to binding spells, quite understandably, given his past experience." Enquiringly, she looked at Remus who cringed under her glare.

"Tried it," the werewolf confessed. "Didn't work. He fought, and I couldn't still the bleeding. So I decided to... well, just hold him down. Sort of."

Nodding briskly, Madam Pomfrey let a second potion seep into Snape's body, quickly followed by a half-sung charm that finally closed the wounds on neck and shoulder. "Ever since You-Know-Who tested that cursed whip on him – used it repeatedly as Severus always failed to deliver Harry to him – it became nearly impossible to hold him down with binding spells. I understand that You-Know-Who used them to keep his victims in position. Severus connects them with pain and danger; Albus and I always calmed him with physical strength. It was the only thing that worked. Although," she said with half a sad smile, "we never actually thought of getting into bed with him."

"Don't you dare and ever let him know about it, Poppy," Remus answered and grinned, more than glad that the matron was here and knew what to do. Then his eyes snapped to the boy who still stood in the doorframe and now staggered into the room.

Draco sunk on the chair next to the window. He had paled at the matron's words. "Shit," he whispered. "I... I didn't know that. I didn't know what else to do but spellbind him... Something else I fucking didn't know! No wonder those wounds wouldn't heal – he tore them open whilst trying to break the spell and... Hell. Sorry. Really, I'm..." He shot out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Madam Pomfrey looked after him with sympathy, but of course had to take care of Snape first.

"I think you owe me an explanation, Remus," the matron stated, snatched a wet cloth out of thin air, and gently began to remove the dried blood from the Potions master's chest. "You have all the time you need – I must beg you to stay with Severus in this position for another few hours, at least until I can be sure those wounds are truly getting better."

Reluctantly, Remus nodded. "I didn't dare to seal them or give him anything," he said. "I didn't want to do anything wrong. He spat the Blood-Replenishing Potion out and..."

Poppy pulled the sheet up to Snape's chest and now sat herself in the chair Draco had abandoned. "That was a wise decision, Remus," she reassured him. "The venom of that horrible snake... anyone who gets bitten needs special treatment. It affects the healing process, and it makes the victim sick for weeks after the bite. We had that problem with Arthur Weasley as well – he simply couldn't keep anything down until one of the healers found a potion that eased the symptoms. That Severus is still alive is a miracle, as Draco of course couldn't know which healing potions and spells to apply. I will talk to the boy later – he still did a remarkable job, given the circumstances. You tell me why you are here and how it is possible that Severus is here as well."

And so Remus Lupin told the matron what he knew.

***************************

It took nearly three days before Madam Pomfrey finally declared that Snape would live and recover. During this time, either she, Remus, or Draco looked after the by then sleeping and healing Potions master, not leaving him alone for as much as a minute. Madam Pomfrey found the time to talk to Draco, and after she was done with him, he held his head high again and the guilty look had left his eyes.

"You saved his live, Mr Malfoy," she told him. "Without your care, he would have been dead for over a month. No one blames you for your actions; on the contrary, we are grateful."

"I nearly killed him because... well. You know why. Because I didn't know what to do, because I didn't dare to ask anyone, because I thought it was for the best," Draco said and didn't look into the matron's eyes. The knowledge that he could have taken Snape to St. Mungo's where professional Healers would have taken care of him haunted him right into his dreams.

Madam Pomfrey sighed and patted the boy's head as she had patted the heads of countless youths in times of confusion. "You did what you could and what you thought right at the time. And as soon as your actions become common knowledge, you will be a hero; it should help your parents' trial tremendously."

Draco didn't answer that, but went to his own room and thought things over for a while, listening to the small sounds the others made in his house. Slowly, he became aware how badly the situation had worked on his nerves, how devastated he'd been and how scared that Snape would die right under his hands. That Lupin and Madam Pomfrey had taken the responsibility out of his hands, that Snape himself was actually getting better day by day, did a lot to brighten his mood. Draco even let his neighbours know that he was back in his house, which was necessary anyway because the matron and the werewolf kept coming and going in broad daylight.

When Madam Pomfrey complained that there was nothing edible in the house but mouldy toast, Draco began to do the shopping again, searched out his parents' grocers and bargained with them to give him the best pieces, just as his father had. And he ordered his parents' house-elves to do the washing, cooking, and cleaning. He was having proper meals again, swearing an oath that he would never touch soup again in his entire life. Sooner than expected, the signs of abandonment were gone from the rooms. Light filled the house, voices, footsteps, the scents of breakfast, lunch and dinner. And sometimes even a smile.

Meanwhile Remus, being a married man and a father, had informed his wife that he had urgent business to attend to, but didn't tell Tonks anything more. He went home every now and then to take his boy to bed and assure his wife everything would turn out fine in the end.

Madam Pomfrey owled her niece that she would be back soon, but didn't tell her when. She regularly visited Diagon Alley to fill up her empty bag with medical and potion supplies.

That Severus Snape was still alive was kept a secret. Draco, Remus and Poppy agreed it would be for the best if they waited until their patient was up and about before they unleashed the machinery that would certainly begin to work as soon as rumours would spread that Hogwarts' Potions master, triple spy, former Death Eater, killer of Dumbledore, and main agent of Voldemort's defeat was still alive. Draco and Remus, with the sincere support of Madam Pomfrey, wanted to give Snape a chance to get up to date first so that the life outside that was waiting for him wouldn't crush him.

***********************

Snape woke mid-day on a Tuesday afternoon, and Remus was there and watched him.

First, Snape stretched himself, still mostly asleep. Then he turned, lying now on his back only to push the duvet away that covered him.

A moment later he took the duvet and pulled it up to his chest once more; maybe he was aware of the fact that, beneath it, he was still naked. Remus couldn't suppress a smile at that involuntary motion.

A few deeper breaths, fluttering eyelids; then, suddenly, Snape opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling, and finally locked his gaze with the werewolf sitting next to the bed.

Remus leaned forward, trying to find something sensible to say. "Hi," was what he finally came up with.

"You are dead," Snape croaked and ran a weary hand over his face.

"So are you," Remus observed calmly, expecting the man to jump out of bed any moment or to do something equally stupid.

Snape frowned and thought that over. Then he shook his head. "I'm not. You are. I saw you fall. You are dead. Greyback killed you."

Remus smiled. "For someone who got attacked by a giant snake and takes ice-cold showers in the middle of the night, your memory is exceptionally good. You are right – I fought with Greyback, and I fell. But I didn't stay down, and I didn't die. As should be obvious because I'm talking to you. And besides – you fell as well but didn't stay down either. I think we are even here."

Snape tried to push himself up a bit, failed, and accepted the help of his old enemy. A few moments later, he leaned against the cushions propped behind his back and stared wordlessly at the werewolf. Finally, he came to a conclusion. "I'm mad," he stated. "I've been half-mad for weeks, and now I've just gone completely nuts."

Remus couldn't help chuckling. "Nice reasoning," he said. "But wrong nevertheless. You've been half-mad because of the snake venom, because you were ill, and because of some... invalid information Draco provided you with. Actually, you are a lot better now than a few days ago." Then he unbuttoned his shirt and showed Snape the long, deep scars Greyback had cast right before Remus had managed to finally kill the werewolf. "I'm not dead, you're not mad, and really, this is a quite strange conversation, Severus."

Snape, though, didn't seem to appreciate his opponent's words. A thought had struck him and by the looks in his haggard face, it was an awful thought. "If I'm not mad and not dead either, it means that I'm recovering," he whispered. "That is... bad news indeed."

Having no idea how to break the news, Remus stayed silent for too long. He could see the dread building up in Snape's face, he could nearly see the conclusions he made – if he was recovering, he would have to face the Dark Lord soon – but still he didn't know how to say what he wanted to say.

Neither Snape nor Lupin heard Draco coming in. The young man stared at Snape's clenched jaw, his balled fists, his knitted eyebrows, he looked at the werewolf and waited for him to say what needed to be said and finally figured out that Remus didn't know how to put it.

"Voldemort's dead," Draco said, loud and clear. "I didn't tell you because I thought you'd be devastated to hear it and that it would kill you. I didn't know you were on Dumbledore's side all the time. I'm sorry. Really, very sorry."

"What?" Snape whispered, his face suddenly even paler than only a moment before. He tried to swallow, his hands began to tremble, and he drew up his shoulders, clearly trying with all his might to control the rush of emotions washing through him.

"Voldemort is dead. So is Nagini," Draco replied.

Remus watched Snape closely. "Severus, Harry won, thanks to the memories you gave him that night. Your times as spy are over. You don't have to go back to him. There aren't even that many Death Eaters left – most are dead or in Azkaban. It's over. You are free of this task, this... burden. Finally and forever."

"That... is..." Snape began, but couldn't finish whatever he had wanted to say.

"It's over. You are safe. Voldemort is dead," Draco whispered and was quite horrified to see tears running down the Potions master's pallid face. "Please. I'm so sorry not having told you that before, as soon as you've woken up!"

For a moment, Snape stared at the boy. Then, with a sudden move, he jerked his body round and buried his face in the pillow. And Remus just got up, took Draco's arm and pushed him out. They left the room and the werewolf closed the door behind him so the man inside could deal with reality unobserved.

*************

Two hours later, Remus knocked once, then entered the room, this time carrying a tray. He sincerely hoped that this time had been enough for Severus to think things through and to accept that his life would now take a much different turn than he had anticipated before Draco had told him the truth.

Snape sat in the bed. For the first time in a month, the curtains were open. Faint sunlight streamed in through the window, painted patterns on the wooden floor, warming the small room distinctively. When Remus came in, Snape looked up, spearing the werewolf with a gaze that was surprisingly similar to the stare he had used on his students. Before Remus could open his mouth, Snape asked, "Is it true?"

Remus put the tray down and nodded.

"Tell me. Everything."

Thoughtfully, Remus took the roll that lay on the tray, broke it, and handed one half to Snape. It was such a harmless and unimportant gesture that Snape automatically reached out and took the warm piece of bread. "Surely Draco didn't bake that," he growled. "He had enough problems ruining a simple soup, not to talk about proper cooking."

Grinning, Remus answered, "The house-elves are back. And I will tell you everything as soon as you start eating."

Without hesitation, Snape began to devour half his roll, and Remus told him about the night Voldemort had died. That Harry had died as well, but only temporarily; that the Elder Wand had backfired on its so-called master (Snape gave an approving snort to that detail); that Neville Longbottom had killed Nagini (a brisk nod); and that Voldemort's body had burst into dust when Harry had cast his ever famous Expelliarmus on him.

Silence filled the room after Remus had spoken the last sentence, and Snape swallowed the last bite of his roll. Then he accepted the mug Remus offered and took a thoughtful sip. "What about me?" he finally asked, this time not looking at Remus. "I guess you considered me dead?"

"We buried you," the werewolf replied. "Apart from Poppy and me, no one knew that we didn't find your body in the Shrieking Shack, so no one knew we buried an empty coffin. We found you a nice spot at the graveyard, and we... just buried you."

"For some reason I doubt that many tears were shed," the Potions master said dryly, but unable to cover a hint of bitterness in his still slightly hoarse voice.

Waving his wand with a swift move, Remus commanded a pile of newspapers to appear. He placed them on the bedside table, then he fished for a small phial in his shirt pocket. It contained silvery mist – memories. "You are quite mistaken there, Severus," the werewolf objected. "Your death has ripped holes in people's hearts. After Harry revealed the truth about you, verified by Albus's testament... You cannot imagine what happened afterwards. Everyone who knew you walked around like the undead. We knew we had wronged you badly, we knew there was no way to let you know how sorry we were as not even a portrait showed up in the headmaster's office – well, of course not as you weren't dead – and... Let's say that many of us were... heartbroken."

"Sure," Snape snapped.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. Hence the newspapers – you were freed of all charges and given the Order of Merlin First Class right before the burial. I suppose you want to read it for yourself. And hence the memories. They are mine – showing events from the past few weeks. I guess, as soon as you're able to stand without support, I will allow you to get up and have a look into them."

Snape managed to appear dangerous although he was as white as paper and didn't weigh much more than a skeleton. "You – will allow me?" he hissed, and for a brief second, Remus believed Severus would strangle him right on the spot.

Then he laughed. "I'm delighted to see that your spirits are back, old friend," Remus said, pure joy showing in his face. "Maybe Draco and I will manage to annoy you badly enough for you to get healthy quicker than Poppy assumes."

That last statement seemed to prick Snape's curiosity. "Poppy knows I'm here?" he asked, but then reasoned, "Well, obviously she knows, otherwise I believe I would have died of that fever. Who else knows?"

Remus poured him another cup of tea. "Don't worry, Severus. No one apart from us knows yet that you proved to be exceptionally hard to kill. We'll give you another couple of days to recover before you have to face... well, everyone, actually.

"How generous of you, wolf," Snape grumbled and reached for one of the newspapers.