I Sdore Whed I'b Sick
a Harry Potter story
by midnight_angel_girl

Severus Snape opened the apartment door and walked into the living room. "Bill?" he called. He heard a few coughs come from down the hall. He followed the sound to the bedroom. The door was open, so he went in. Bill was in bed, asleep, blankets wrapped around him. He coughed again and rolled onto his stomach. Snape put his hand on the man's shoulder and shook him. "Bill?"

The redhead opened his eyes slowly. "Severus? What tibe is it? I didn't bead to sleep this log."

"Are you alright?" Snape asked. "Are your allergies bad again?"

"Do." Bill sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Just a bloody cold. I took pepper-up yesterday, but it didn't do ady good. I'll go bake didder. Hag od." Bill fumbled for the empty tissue box as his face went slack, then scrunched up. "Hehtshoo, hehshoo."

Snape reached into his pocket, pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to the younger man. "Hehkshoo." As Snape was handing him the handkerchief, Bill sneezed again, lightly spraying Snape's hand. He dropped the handkerchief and recoiled, an expression of disgust momentarily crossing his face. Bill caught the expression as he picked up the handkerchief and blew his nose. "Sorry. Thaks."

Snape wiped his hand on the blankets. "It's fine. I've never had someone sneeze on me before. Although, it's not the first time I've had your bodily fluids on my hands." He sighed. "It is rather typically you to not have a handkerchief or tissues when you need one. Even though you would chide any of your brothers for the same thing."

"Do. Dot Percy. Ad I did have tissues ad a hadkerchief."

"Bill, would Percy ever not have a handkerchief or tissues on him?"

"Do. There's bore hadkerchiefs id the top drawer over there." He pointed to the dresser and coughed. "Ad tissues id the bathroob ad livig roob. Hahshoo." Using Snape's handkerchief, he blew his nose again.

Snape looked at Bill's pale face and red nose. Brushing aside a few strands of hair and pressed his wrist to Bill's forehead. "No fever."

As always, Bill was surprised by the tender gesture from such a brusque man. "Do, it's just a dasty cold. Have you eated?"

"I ate at school. Did you eat?"

"I fell asleep after work, so do. I'll get up ad bake sobethig id a bidute."

"Stay in bed. I'll make something."

"Sev, do offedse, but you're a lousy cook. There's sobe chicked soup id the fridge if you wadt to heat that up, though. I bade it whed I first started feeling sick."

"How long have you been sick?"

"This is day three, so I should be at the worst of it."

"And pepper-up didn't help?"

"I didn't take it sood edough. I thought it was just by allergies acting up. Huchschoo."

"If you had owled me, I would have brought you something. Now, you'll have to wait until morning for me to brew something."

"That's fide. I didn't wadt you to chadge your bide about cobig."

"I wouldn't have. Do you want your soup in bed?" Bill nodded. "Tea?"

"Please."

"Put your pajamas on and get back in bed."

"Let be bake up the couch for you first."

"The couch? Usually we share the bed."

"I didn't thik you'd wadt to, what with be beig sick. Heyehshuhh."

"It's just a cold. If I get it, I'll live."

"I sdore whed I'b sick."

"You snore every night."

"I do dot." Snape imitated Bill snoring and the younger man blushed.

"Didn't Liana ever say anything about it?"

"Liada fell asleep as sood as he closed her eyes; the odly thig that would wake her was Ebily coughing or crying. Percy used to say I did, but I figured it was just a brother thig. I'll sdore louder sidce I'b sick."

"Can't be any worse than when your allergies are bad. You're no more stuffed up now." Bill pressed the handkerchief to his nose again. "Hehshoo, ehshoo, heyeshoo."

"Gesundheit. I'll bring you a box of tissues as well. Knowing you, you'll need them."

"Thaks." Bill blew his nose again as Snape went to get him some dinner before they retired to bed.