Please?
a Harry Potter story
by Niki
"AH-heISH!" Severus Snape sneeze wetly. He was relieved that he was alone in the Slytherian common area when it crept up on him. Had he displayed that type of weakness in front of his students, there's no telling where the humiliation would end. Not only would he have to deal with his students – the boys with their snubs of weakness and the girls with their Huffle-Puff type prattle about wanting to help, but it was almost assured that several of them would tell their parents, and that was a humiliation that he could do without.
He took his black silk handkerchief out of his robes and gently tended to his nose. His nose was already starting to feel sore, and he groaned inwardly. `Not even mid November, and I have the first cold of the season,' he thought to himself.
Another tickle threatened his sinuses. He tried to rub his eyes, but that only infuriated the tickle more and he felt it start to creep down his sinus's, the tickle caressing its way into a full blown sneeze. His nostrils flared and he scrunched his nose to try to stop the impending sneeze. He felt his face get hot and his eyes begin to tear. He parted his lips slightly and took a slow quivering breath. The sneeze was right on the verge of coming out, but it was teasing him – waxing and waning – giving him partial relief then filling his nose fully and then petering off again. He felt beads of sweat start to form on his brow, as he blew softly through his nose trying to make the sneeze decide which way it wanted to go. Either way would be fine at this point, but being in limbo was excruciating.
Just then, Jacob Malfoy – Draco to his friends – stepped in the room.
Severus drew himself up and tried to look menacing. As badly as he wanted the sneeze to come, he couldn't let it now. If he sneezed, or showed any weakness whatsoever, Jacob would go running straight to his father. He was fond of Luscius – was being the operative word. When they had worked together during the reign of He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named, Luscius and he were close companions – often sharing a deeper brand of evil than most of the Death Eaters. But, when Severus turned double agent and it came out what he had done – that destroyed their bonds and Luscius made it clear that he would be watching, waiting for the slightest hint of weakness so that he could repay Severus' deeds-personally.
"Good afternoon, Professor," Jacob said politely, is there something I can do for you?" It was rare that the Head of Slytheran frequented the common area and Jacob was more than just a little curious as to what had brought him here now.
"Just inspecting," he replied as menacingly as he could muster. The tickle was still irritating his nose furiously, and had started creeping its way down his throat.
Jacob noticed. "Oh, well it is a bit dusty," he said wiping his finger on an end table and showing Snape.
But, Snape was not concerned. Although he had a mighty allergy to dust, he knew that the house elves had just been through and that not an ounce or dust would be found anywhere. Jacob looked at his finger and shrugged.
Snape wanted to glower and state something snappish but the sneeze took hold of him in an instant. His whole body felt stir crazy and he knew at least one powerful sneeze was going to explode out of him at any second. He gave a curt nod to Jacob and swept out of the common area and into the stairways. He made his way as far down the stairs and into the castle hallways as he could. He needed a place to hide – immediately – and it appeared. The door of the moving classroom. He threw himself inside and shut the door behind him just as the sneezes exploded out of him.
"Heh-XXST! HehTCH! Eh-ehISH! HehCHA! Chxtch!" He was barely able to get his handkerchief to his face in time, and was quite weak and dizzy by the end of the spell. He gently tended to his runny nose and felt his head swim as he blew.
"Bless you, Severus. Here, sit down," a voice from behind him said.
He jumped and whirled around. Remus Lupin was sitting on an overstuffed couch, with a blanket wrapped around him. His nose was uncommonly pink and his eyes looked more tired than usual. He was started to rise to his feet.
"Lupin, my apologies I didn't know you were unwell as well."
"I typically come here to try to kick colds. My room is so drafty it doesn't help much. You must understand that being in the dungeons and all."
Wanting to snap at him, but feeling quite unable to do so, all that Severus replied was, "Heh-XXST!" The strength of his sneeze snapped his head forwards and his hair flew into his face. He felt dizzy, wobbly, and like he was falling. But, he wasn't. He was being pushed – gently pushed – towards the couch that only seconds before Remus Lupin had occupied. "I'm alright, Lupin."
"No, I don't think you are." Remus knew exactly what Severus was feeling like. He had felt similar the entire week prior. Now he was nursing the tail end of the cold, taking the few liberties that Dumbledore allotted him, especially since he seldom took any except the most necessary. The entire week before he had been sneezing, congested, feverish and weak. He'd spent most of it hidden here, afraid of what he'd cry out during his nightmares. Occasionally, he was visited by Dumbledore and once or twice he recalled Minerva holding him steady as he screamed for James, Lily, and Sirius. Once he even recalled Harry being there with Hermione – they had seemed surprised, as if they came upon him on accident. And, they had not returned. Remus didn't know if that was because they were embarrassed to have found him, or because they'd never been there to begin with.
Remus lowered Severus down onto the couch, and felt his forehead. He was running a fever, and a high one at that. "Why don't you just lay down and rest, Severus. I'll go get you some supplies."
Suddenly angry, Severus rose off the couch. I do not need your sympathy or your help Lupin. I will be just fine on my o-," his breath hitched, "on my o-," his head swam. Remus noticed as his nostrils flared. Severus reached for his handkerchief, but he didn't reach it in time. "HetCHIFF!" He sneezed over his shoulder, as to avoid sneezing on Remus.
"Well," Remus said gently, "if you insist that you'll be fine, I'll just leave you to it then. But, I know what a whopper of a cold this is, and if you find yourself needing any help, please don't hesitate to ask." With that Remus gathered his things and left. Too long had he been yelled at by Severus for his kindness. He still wasn't feeling well himself, and didn't have his usual constitution to deal with his attitude.
As he watched him leave Severus groaned. He hadn't expected Remus to leave. In fact, his departure made him quite upset. Remus was an excellent caretaker. He was such a sickly individual that he knew what others would need to make them comfortable. Severus had the pleasure of Remus caring for him in the past, though always pretending it was against his will. He pretended to hold on to an ancient grudge held against his now deceased friends. But, he couldn't let his guard down, no matter how much he may want to.
He laid back on the couch. Coughed a few times and stretched. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. Soon, he drifted off into peaceful slumber.
Sort of.
Three hour later, he was still sniffling, sneezing and coughing. His nose wouldn't stop running, but when he sniffled he coughed and if he didn't he sneezed. His body was starting to ache from use and he desperately needed a drink of water. He could see the picture across the room, but when he tried to summon it, he sneezed and it dropped onto the floor.
He checked the clock. It was suppertime. Cold, yet sweating, he decided to brave the Great Hall. He wasn't overly hungry, but he was thirsty.
He made his way slowly down the hallways. The students all paid him no mind, and silently prayed that he would do the same. Usually, he wore a scowl that would scare even the ghosts of the castle, but this time he was too busy concentrating on walking in a straight line and remaining vertical, to care about the students or his scowl. He yearned for kindness…or at least someone who would be willing to care for him – put him to bed and the like.
By the time he reached the Great Hall, his chest was heavy, he was having trouble breathing, and his head was swimming. He could feel his legs grow wobbly again, but he would not pass out in front of the students. He would make it to his seat at the head of the hall and maybe he could give Remus some sign – maybe Remus would just notice. Or maybe – he would sneeze.
Not that he wanted to, of course, but there it was. Working its way down his sinus' again. His face felt hot and his eyes started to tingle. He could feel congestion filling his nose and he parted his lips to get a good breath. The air was warm, but it tickled his throat all the same. He was halfway down the aisle, and he was certain that he was going to make a spectacle of himself – right here – in the middle of the Great Hall. The fear of the humiliation that he had felt earlier, at the prospect of the Malfoy boy seeing him sneeze was infinitesimal in comparison to the humiliation of the entire school seeing him sneeze. And hearing him. As the annoying sounds of grating wood on stone and silverware on plates seared through his head he remembered the acoustics in the Great Hall. There would be no way for him to hide this quietly, or sneeze gracefully. This was going to be loud, wet and humiliating.
He took a quivering breath as he reached the staff table.
"Good evening, Professor," Minerva greeting him pleasantly. "You aren't typically late. Is everything alright?"
Not trusting himself to speak he simply nodded and gave her a half hearted grin. He bit his lower lip and gazed down the table at Remus. He finally caught his gaze and went to ask for the chicken, but his breath hitched and he held his fist to his nose. Remus saw the conflict and immediately pushed back his chair.
"Severus, do you need assistance?" he asked quietly from behind his chair. He and Severus had bonded in the years following James and Lily's death. They had both lost everything to bring about the fall of He Who Must Not Be Named and they had found solace with each other. He could tell that Severus was going to sneeze and knew that he would rather blow out his ear drums than sneeze in front of the student body.
Unable to do anything else, Severus took a sip of his water and nodded.
Remus clapped him on the shoulder and went back to his seat. Severus was going to sneeze – soon. There was no way to get him out of the Great Hall in time. And, he was far beyond a spell that would quash the sneeze. He took a palmful of pepper in one hand and a pinch of it in the other. He got back up and went over to Severus.
"Ready?" he asked quietly?
"F-for wh-whaa- ha-hah-whaAA-."
At that exact second Remus inhaled the palmful of pepper through his nose and mouth. He exploded into a fit of sneezes and coughs. "ha- SCHOO! EsHOO! Teh-SHOO! Het-CHOO! Ugha, ugha, ughughughuGH!" He was out of breath, but the danger was over. Severus was quietly blowing his nose and Remus was able to excuse himself and give a little joke about a bit too much pepper in the soup. His sinus' and throat were scratchy and burning terribly. He now felt the need to get out of the Great Hall. Quietly he gathered his things and bade a sniffly good-bye to the staff table.
"Should one of us make sure he's okay?" Minerva inquired.
"Yes, I shall," said Professor Flitwick.
"That's alright, I have something to discuss with him anyway," Severus said and rose to go after him. He hoped that he hadn't escaped into the Griffindor common room or somewhere else that he wasn't able to follow. But, he didn't have to look long – or hard to find him.
"heh-eh-SCHIFF!" Remus sneezed wetly into his handkerchief.
"Bless you," Severus offered quietly, joining the man in his gaze out one of the windows.
"Thand do…heh-eh-SHIFF!" He blew his nose dryly. He wasn't ill any longer, but his body was insistent on getting the pepper out of his system.
"No, thank you. That was very…kind of you." Severus wanted to be nice. He wanted to repay the kindness that Remus had just shown him. He wanted to thank him for showing the weakness that he was too afraid to. But, most of all, he wanted to ask for help. He looked into Remus' red rimmed eyes and watched the man blow his nose, and realized that he'd already received more kindness than he had a right to ask for.
Dejected, he put his hand on Remus' shoulder.
"Come, my fr-f-frien," he quickly turned away from Remus and buried his nose into his handkerchief. "heh-ATISCHOO!!" He felt Remus' hand on his back. It was calming, soothing, and gentle. It didn't need anything from him, it was just there.
"Bless you, Severus." Remus paused. His eyes burned and teared. He was embarrassed to be seen in such a horrid state, but he could sense that leaving would be in the worse interest of the both of them.
Severus wanted to thank him, but another sneeze was lurking. He nodded his head, without removing his handkerchief.
"Come," Remus said, gently. "Let's get you back to the room."
"Thand do," Severus breathed. He took too shaky steps and started to fall forward. But, to his surprise, Remus had a tight grip on him and wouldn't let him fall.
"I've got you, Severus."
Severus nodded his thanks.
They stepped through the door. The couch was all ready for him, and next to it was an arm chair with a large box of tissues sitting on both.
"Do you want me to stay?" Remus asked, after he tucked Severus under the warm blankets and made sure he was comfortable.
"Please?" Severus asked, weakly.
Remus smiled. "Of course." He took a seat in the armchair and the two chatted until Severus finally drifted off to sleep.
In response to Plot Bunny 141: Write a fic in which a character is sick with a cold and really just wants to be taken care of, but doesn't want or know how to ask for that kind of treatment. I'll admit I wasn't creative with the characters – but the story came right to me.
Feedback: Pretty please