Awakening by bertas Title: Awakening Author:bertas Rating: PG Pairing: Severus / Harry Word Count: 1018 Warnings: Fluff and nonsense / Epilogue Compliant Summary: Severus wakes up when he had no right to expect to do so. Written for the Reviving Severus Mini Challenge at Severus Sighs. A/N: Well this isn’t the story I thought I would write when I originally had this thought for an Albus Severus saves Snape/time travel/Polyjuice/Draught of the Living Death story, but I write what and when the muse allows. Disclaimer: Anything you recognize I most likely stole. And yes, that line is from The Wizard of Oz.
Awakening
I became aware of sounds first. Then the smells, almost like the Hospital Wing, invaded my senses. I tried to move only to realize that I did not yet have any control of my muscles. I must have made a noise as I felt the bed move, dipping as someone sat on the edge.
Wait, bed? The last I remembered, I was on the floor of the shack, paralyzed by Nagini’s poison and bleeding out. Dying in the last place on earth I wanted to be. Was I dead then? I did not seem to be in any pain.
The last time I closed my eyes I had assumed I would not be opening them again, but open them I do. Open them to look into the same brilliant green eyes I had closed them to.
I breathed out the word, “Potter?” – I knew it was him, but he looked different. I could not place how though. I let out a deep breath, asking, “How?”
Potter reached out and brushed a few strands of hair from my face and smiled. “Welcome back, Professor. Try not to talk too much yet.” He turned and called softly, “He’s awake.”
When Potter looked back at me still smiling he said, “I’ll quickly give you the super condensed version. Okay?”
I found myself nodding although I suspected that when he was done I would have more questions than I had started with.
“My son, Al, Hermione and Ron’s daughter, Rose, and an experimental time turner in potions class.” I raised my eyebrow and he expanded upon that by saying, “They had a bit of an accident. When they realized when they were, they decided to make some changes within what they knew we all remembered. They found you just after Ron, Hermione and I left; fed you Blood Replenishing and Healing potions, polyjuiced a Death Eater they found just outside the shack into you, fed you the Draught of the Living Death, and hid you in the Chamber of Secrets.” He laughed slightly and continued, “The time turner was charmed, after one hour for each turn it would return anyone it ‘turned’ back to the same place they left from, with only thirty seconds real-time having elapsed.”
He helped me lift my head to drink some water. “The accident was two weeks ago. We retrieved you shortly after.” He glanced up and nodded at someone who was standing across the bed from him. “Tracy finished putting you back together. And we gave you the antidote for the Draught to revive you this morning.”
I was right, I now had more questions. I started to ask, “How long…” shook my head, no, there were more important considerations, “The Dark Lord?”
Potter grinned, “Not only merely dead, but truly most sincerely dead.”
I snorted and was surprised when he took hold of my hand, lifting and turning it so I could see my forearm. My arm was clean, there was no Mark. I let out a deep sigh and relaxed into the pillows.
The woman chuckled as she waved her wand over me and said, “Welcome back, Professor. How do you feel?”
I actually looked at her closely for the first time. She was familiar. I frowned slightly. “Davis?” I asked. When she nodded I shrugged a little and answered her question. “I am not in pain. A bit confused. You,” I moved my hand to indicate both of them, “look different.”
Potter chuckled, “Well, we are a little older than you are now.”
“I beg your pardon?” I was annoyed by that statement as there was no way it could possibly be true. I was twenty years their senior.
“Harry.” Davis chided. “It’s been more than a couple of years and the Draught, as I’m sure you know, Professor, puts you in stasis.” She shrugged a little. “Suspended animation, if you wish. You didn’t age, but we did.” She turned toward the door. “Oh dear, I apparently have another patient. I’ll see about getting you both some lunch and see you in a bit, Professor.”
I closed my eyes, sighing heavily as she left. “I will need to know how long, if I am to have any semblance of a life now, Potter.”
Potter sighed. “It’s been almost twenty-five years, sir. Hermione and a few others are working on a summary of everything you will need to know, all the important potion breakthroughs, current event and political news, who’s who and where to find them.” He gave a little chuckle. “Knowing her team, it will probably have incriminating dirt on at least half on them.”
I snorted. “I’m tired, Potter. I believe I need to rest.”
Potter smiled as he leaned toward me adjusting the blankets over my chest. “Okay, but…” He laid his hand on my cheek. “Before you do, I have something of yours that I need to return.” His forehead came to rest against mine and he murmured something that, even as close as I was, I could not understand. I felt something pressing against my mind, something familiar. I gasped as I recognized my own memories. With them came the other man’s thoughts of respect and something almost like love. And the idea that Potter had kept the memories in the safest place he could think of, he had kept them in his own mind for all that time.
When Potter pulled away it was only a few inches. He smiled before dipping his head a second time. I could not help the small startled noise I made when his lips met mine. The kiss was too soft and brief for my liking.
“I probably shouldn’t have done that.” Potter said with a smile as he pulled back, still stroking my cheek with his fingers. “And I’ll understand if the first time you get your hands on a wand, you want to hex me.”
The only reaction I could think of was to lift my hand and cup the back of the brat’s head as I pulled him down for a second, longer, much more satisfying kiss.