It is the Time You Have Spent
a Harry Potter story
by midnight_angel_girl
**Snape** Severus Snape lay on his couch. He was better than he had been three days ago, and his cold was more in the stage where the frequent coughing and sneezing and runny nose were just annoying. It had been a pretty bad cold; he had spent the entire weekend in bed, at times, too dizzy to move. He took a drink of his tea, wincing as it hit his tender throat, and leaned back on the couch to read. He was distracted; he kept thinking back over the last 8 months. It had all started the last time he was sick, last summer. Molly Weasley had made him stay at Grimwauld Place until he was better, and that week, he had started to feel things he hadn't for a long time.
The Weasley's, he thought. Of all the families in the world, he had fallen for a Weasley.
Ginny, he really had no problem with, other than her Harry Potter worship and the fact that she spent all her time with the `terrible trio.' Ron, he had heard everything Ron had to say about him, and Ron joined Potter in hating him, just because the first time Potter saw him, his scar hurt. Fred and George, how he hated pranksters that never got caught, although he did have to admit that he ever so slightly admired their skill and ingenuity. Percy: insufferable, bossy git. Arthur: Muggle-obsessed fool. Molly: overbearing and smothering and shrill. Charlie, well, he'd never really met him, but he was a Weasley.
And then, there was Bill. Bill, who had taken care of him while he was ill, talked to him, read to him, rubbed his back, passed him tissues. Bill, who when Snape had been struck by a sneezing fit and sneezed on Bill when he went to take the mug of tea from him, when, embarrassed and trying to apologize, Bill had simply wiped off his arm and told Snape not to worry about it, that as the oldest of 7 kids, he'd had worse, and launched into a story about when Arthur and Molly had taken a trip and the other 6 had gotten the flu. Bill still swore that Percy would wait until he was within range of Bill to throw up. Bill, who when a still sick Snape had been summoned, had stayed up waiting for him to get back and helped him to bed, sleeping in the chair that night. Bill, who had been the first person in years to give him birthday gifts he might actually enjoy. Bill, who he was pretty sure he was falling in love with.
**Bill** Bill Weasley walked through his Egypt apartment, checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He pulled out his handkerchief and blew his nose; Snape had given him his cold. He had done what he came to Egypt to do: say goodbye to Liana and Emily. He remembered how he and Li had talked about death, Curse breaking was dangerous, and they knew that they needed to have all this prepared. They had agreed that they would not mourn forever and would have the other's blessing if they fell in love again. Liana knew he was attracted to both men and women, but as long as it was her, she didn't care. Now, 2 ½ years later, he was starting to fall in love again. He had used what she had taught him; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; to get to know Severus, to get past the 'greasy git' exterior and to get to see the part that Snape kept hidden, his softer, vulnerable, nice side. And he was falling in love with him.
He was supposed to go home today, and with a cold, he really didn't want to go back to Grimwauld Place without getting some pepper-up first; he wanted to be left alone, and his mother would be all over him. He figured he'd stop by Hogwarts first, see how Snape was doing and if he might have any pepper-up.
Snape was snapped out of his reverie by a sharp knock on the dungeon door. Blowing his nose again, he got up and opened it. Bill was standing there, rubbing his nose with a handkerchief. "Bill?" "Hi. I hope you don't mind me stoppindg by again, but I just got back and wanded to see how you were feehh...ehshoo...feeling. May I combe ihh...ihnshoo...id?"
"Allergies?" Snape asked, remembering that Bill had said he had bad allergies in Egypt and ushering him in.
Bill blew his nose. "I wish. I caught your cold."
"Well, you were giving me presents. Thought I'd better give you something in return. Heh-ehshoo." he joked.
"Wow. Severus Snape just made a joke. Feeling better?"
"Yes. I was stuck in bed all weekend, though. You're going to feel awful, even with pepper-up. Did Poppy send you to me?"
"No, why?"
"She's out of pepper-up."
"I see. No, I came because I wanted to see how you were doing and see if you might have any. Arshoo."
"I don't. I did, but there's been an outbreak of colds here, and I gave her what I had. Eh-chehh, heh choo, uhchoo." He rubbed at his nose with his handkerchief.
"I'll stop ind Hogsmeade before I go hombe thend and pihhh...ihshoo, hihshoo, huhshoo, hai-ishoo, pick sobe up. I dod't wadt to go hobe without geddig sobe. Huhshoo, ick-shoo. Excuse be"
"Gesundheit. Blow your nose. It'll help." He handed the younger man a couple tissues.
"Thandks. I need to get sobe before I go hombe. Otherwise, Mub'll be all over be, and it's beend a rough enough couple days, and I just wandt to be left alonde. Huh-choo."
"I'm brewing some. It'll be ready in the morning. You're welcome to spend the night here. I still owe you from taking care of me last summer, and I promihh...ihshoo...prombise I'll give you sobe space. Huh-hockshop, ehshoo."
"You don't sound a lot better."
"Believe me, I am. I could hardly get out of bed all weekend. Now, I'm just couging and sneezing a lot, which is more annoying than anything. The pepper-up'll help you though; it's heh...hehshoo...helped a lot of the students. Have you eaten?"
"I'm not hungry. Thanks, anyway."
"Tea?"
"That would -" Bill broke off and started coughing. "Sounds great." he managed a few minutes later.
"Let me show you where you can sleep first." He led Bill to the spare room in his chambers. "I'll let you change. I'm assuming you have pajamas with you since you've been gone a few days. I'll make some tea and get you some decongestant potion. It'll help until the pepper-up's ready."
"Thank you, Severus. Heh-choo, ehchoo, huh-ehchoo." Bill pulled out his handkerchief and blew his nose.
"Get into bed. I'll be back in a bit." Severus walked into the kitchen to start making tea when he heard a voice from the fire. He went into the main room and saw Remus Lupin's head in the fire.
"Whahh...ahchoo...what do you want, Lupin? Hatchoo." he snarled.
"Molly asked me to call." he said pleasantly. "Bill was supposed to be home by now, and he's not, and she's rather worried. Have you heard from him? I know he was stopping to see you before he left."
"He's here. Heeh-chuhh. He's got the cold that was going around and stopped to see if I had any pepper-up. He's going to spend the night here since I won't have any ready until tomorrow."
"All right. I'll let her know. Thank you." Remus's head disappeared from the fire before Snape could say anything more. "Hetchoo." he settled for sneezing again and went back into the kitchen. He pulled out a tray and went to go get some decongestant potion. He put the potions, tea, and a box of tissues on the tray and knocked on the door of the spare room. Bill opened it a few seconds later. "Get back in bed." he scowled.
"Yes, sir." Bill crawled under the covers and leaned against the headboard, taking the tea from Snape. "Thank you."
"Ready to take some decongestant?"
Bill made a face. "Do I have to? Eh-shehh, ehshoo, eh-ihshoo." "It'll help so you'll be able to sleep. I'll take it first." Snape sat down on the bed, reached for the tissues and drank one of the vials. "Heh-hahh-shoo, huh-hahshoo, hehshoo, heh choo, hishoo, hah-cheshh, hachoo, heh choo, hah-ehhshoo, harshoo, ahhshoo, arh-choo, hahshoo, hah-hahshoo." He sneezed and coughed as Bill rubbed his back. "Dow you." he sniffled, blowing his nose a few times. He handed Bill a handful of tissues and the other vial.
Bill grimaced and slammed the potion, pressing the tissues to his nose. "Ahshoo, hap-shoo, hat-shoo, hah-ahchoo, hatchoo, kahchoo, kuhchoo, kahchoo, hih-chuhh, kihchuhh, eh-cheshh, heh-hushoo, heh-uhsheshh, hurchahh, ihh-hitchoo, hetchuh, heh choo, huh-cheshh, hah-ahchoo, ah-chuhh, heh-ah-shuhh, ahh-cshh, ah-hahshoo, huh...heh-heh-achoo, ihchoo, heh-choo." Snape took his turn rubbing Bill's back during the sneezing and coughing fit.
"Gesundheit." He handed the redhead some fresh tissues. "Blow." he ordered.
"Thaks. Hetchoo." He blew his nose loudly and smiled. "Liada used to rub by back like that."
"I know. You told me. Feeling any better?"
"A bit. Thak you for letting me stay here."
"I, umm, I don't mind. I'll warn you, I'm not the best at taking care of people."
"Li was. She was better with other people than with herself. She would drag herself into work with a fever if I let her. She was sick the day she died. I made her stay home since both she and Emily were sick."
"What happened?"
"There was a fire. They were both sleeping, and there was a fire in the building. They didn't make it out." Taking a deep breath, Bill bit his lip and looked away. "I wanted to marry her, but after watching her parent's marriage crumble, she was afraid. Heyeshoo. But I went to Egypt to let her go. It was time. She said when I found someone else, I had to let go."
"Have you?" Snape asked, afraid to hear the answer.
"Yeah. But I don't know how to tell him. I don't want to lose my friend. Heh-ehhshh, heh-ihhshh."
"Maybe your friend would undehhh...ehhrshoo...understad. Maybe they feel the same way. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Hit-schoo." Snape rubbed his nose.
"Maybe." Bill yawned.
"I'll let you get some rest. Think about what I said." Snape got up. "My room's down the hall if you need anything. Goodnight."
"Hah-chushhh. Goodnight." Bill waited until Snape was at the door. "It's you." he said softly.
Snape turned. "What?"
"I said, umm, that it's you."
He crossed over to the bed. "Me?"
"Yeah. Since last summer. I started as friends, and Ihh..ihshoo...I've started to fall for you."
"And I, you." Snape sat down next to the younger man, brushing his hair back and pulling him in for a kiss.
Bill pulled away. "I'mb sick."
"Eckshoo. My cold. Heyeshoo, ehshoo."
Bill smiled. "Bless you." he murmured, leaning into Snape's embrace.
I had to continue "It is only with the heart" More will be coming on "Surprising Solace" and I've got a few more bouncing around in my head.
Beginning of a m/m relationship. Not slash at this point, unless you'd like to imagine it. Snape is a bit nice, but hey, he's sick and in love.