Fever with Severus

I felt the burn in my throat late that previous night. I tried to ignore it, but when I awoke with a fever in the dead of night, I knew I had the flu. I groaned and threw the sheets and comforter off my burning body. I should have taken the anti-flu potion Severus brewed during flu season. I already felt horrible and promised myself that next year, I'd take both the potion and get the muggle flu shot just to be safe.

My throat and body burned, I couldn't breathe, and my sinuses were liquifying out of my nose. I turned over, trying to seek some comfort. Severus was next to me, sound asleep. I hated him at that moment, jealous. He was asleep, perfectly fine and I was already miserable. What an asshole. I knew I was being ridiculous, between nightmares and insomnia, Severus got precious little restful sleep.

I sighed and grasped my pounding head. I stared into the darkness of our bedroom, breathing through my mouth for some time until a coughing fit wracked me. Severus startled awake, bolting up at the noise, ever ready for anything to crawl out of the darkness.

Upon realizing it was just me, he said nothing but gently rubbed my back as I coughed. After I settled down, he felt my forehead with the back of his hand, then he was off, down to his lab. I couldn't care less what he was doing so late in the night, so I stole his pillows and propped them against mine in the vain attempt to be able to breathe and lay flat at the same time. I was able to fall into a fitful sleep.

I awoke when I felt the bed dip, Severus sitting on my side of the bed.

"Drink," Severus said, thrusting a vial towards me. In his hand was a vial of flu remedy and in his other, a glass of water.

I didn't even hesitate. I sat up, ignoring the pulsing in my sinuses and chugged the potion.

I grimaced at the taste. "Ugh, Severus, you're such a good potioneer, but you can't make them taste any better?" It may have been freshly brewed, but it still tasted like stale pond scum. The potion itself was a godsend in theory. It would help me sleep and shorten my sickness, though I was still in for a rough day ahead.

"I'm terribly sorry you find my help unsatisfactory." He replied, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"You better be," I said as he handed me the ice water.

The cold water temporarily soothed my burning throat and body. I closed my eyes as I savored the short-term relief.

"Go back to sleep," He said. I laid back and he pulled the covers over me. Thanks to the potion, I fell asleep quickly.

~

I startled awake, the sun was up! Severus was late!

"Severus! Wake up!" I said, my voice nasally with congestion, shaking him awake. "You're late! You already missed your first class."

I clutched my head, my head spinning from all the movement.

He took his time waking up, only opening one eye, obviously unconcerned. "I took the day off. Minerva is substituting." He replied, calmly. "You don't need to be alone right now."

My heart melted, even after knowing him so long and years of marriage, he could still surprise me.

"Well, that's sweet and all, but I have things to do; laundry, mop and sweep the kitchen."

I started to get up, but he took my arm and gently guided me back down.

"Sleep. Rest. I'll take care of everything later."

I didn't have the strength to fight him and fell back to sleep.

I awoke with a damp, cool cloth on my forehead early that afternoon. I slowly sat up, trying to ease my sinuses into my upright position, holding my head as still as possible. I grabbed a nearby blanket and threw it over my shoulders as I shuffled out of the bedroom.

The kitchen, living room and dining room were spotless. Severus made good on his word to pick up my slack. I wouldn't be surprised to see that our dirty clothes were washed and neatly stored away, also. I managed a grin, Severus didn't like people to see his good deeds.

My nose tickled, and I was able to grab a tissue before mucus erupted from my nose. I blew several times before I continued my search for my husband, still sniffling.

He is in his lab/study, drawing up lesson plans.

"You should be resting," Severus said, not looking up from his work.

"You can't keep me bedbound, Severus," I replied.

He winced at my voice, "You sound terrible."

"Thanks, I feel like it," I said sarcastically. "I'm going to take a shower, loosen some of this phlegm up."

"Even after these years of marriage, I still find you to be an alluring vision of femininity," He replied cynically. We both knew he wasn't serious in his tone.

"Just wait until you're sick," I said as I walked away, "We'll see how masculine you are. Ever hear of the man-cold?"

I make my way to the bathroom and turn the shower to as hot of a setting as I could handle. I stripped and got in. I sighed as the heated water washed over my aching body. Soon, my sinuses began to clear, and I could breathe somewhat normally. I still didn't feel good, but I felt better. I don't know how long I was in there, but I did use all the hot water.

Eventually, I forced myself out and changed into clean pajamas. I didn't bother to comb my wet hair or anything else. I grabbed my blanket and went to find Severus again.

I found him in the kitchen, starting dinner. It's not a stretch for a good potioneer to be a good chef as well. I watched him methodically chop carrots and celery and add them to a pot of what I could dully smell was chicken broth.

"It's my mother's recipe. She would make when I was ill...when she could," Severus explained, not turning around.

When she could; when money was available when her depression allowed her.

I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly. Severus put his utensils down and turned in my embrace, kissing the top of my head. We stayed like that for several moments.

He pulled away first but didn't remove his arms, "Go lay down. I'll get you when it's ready."

I pulled him back to me, "I just wanna bewitch you in the moonlight," I croaked, singing.

Severus steered me toward the bedroom, "Perhaps, later."

"Oh, Woh-woh-woh!" I wailed, still singing as I returned to bed.

I was able to read a bit before my head began to ache again. I laid down and napped until dinner.

Severus made an excellent soup. Even though my dampened sense of taste, I could taste hints of lemon and cayenne, cinnamon and mint. It may not have been made with a mother's love in this case, but a husband's love was just as nice.

(1204 words~)