Eternally Yours (Severus Snape x Reader)

Chapter 22 Fever

As hours passed in the dark night, you laid on the couch reading a book of one of Severus' many bookshelves. He told you to not wait for him but you just couldn't sleep even though it was already one in the morning.

You continued to read until sleep came over you and you fell asleep on the couch. You didn't know how much time had passed since you fell asleep but you didn't hear when the front door opened, you also didn't hear the heavy footsteps that carried the person that just entered the house.

Severus entered the house just to see the fireplace still burning though not how it was when he left. His feet carried him towards the living room where he saw you lying on the couch with a book in your hands. A sigh escaped the Potions Master's lips as he stared down at you. This only proved his theory of you being one of the most stubborn people he has ever met but he couldn't help the slight smile that appeared on his lips when he realized you wanted to wait for him.

Severus walked around the couch so he was standing next to you, he grabbed the book you were holding and put it on the coffee table. This, unfortunately, made you wake up "Hey Sev." you said, still half asleep. "(y/n) I told you to not wait for me." he said, trying to sound stern but that didn't work when you yawned cutely at him "I wanted to make sure you were alright." was your response as you were falling asleep one more time.

He couldn't help the smile that graced his lips at your words, it also didn't help that you were cuddling on the couch as you tried to get back to sleep.

Severus brushed a few strands of your (h/c) hair out of your face as he said "Let's get you to bed." you nodded as he slided one of his hands under your knees and the other under your back, lifting you up from the couch and into Severus' strong arms. You put your arms around his neck as he walked up the stairs and into your now shared bedroom.

He laid you down softly into the comfy bed before climbing on the other side after he got changed. Severus pulled you towards his chest as you were already soundly asleep.

The next morning you woke up with a firm grip on your waist and warm breath on your neck. Despite sleeping for nearly nine hours, you felt tired and you were freezing. You turned around so now you were facing Severus and you curled up on his chest, trying to get warm. He spooned you for another hour until he woke up just to find you in a fetal position against his body and you were shaking from the cold. Severus frowned at the sight of you and pressing a hand against your forehead he knew you had a fever.

"(y/n)." he said, trying to get out of bed so he'll give you a potion to lower your temperature. You let out a sound, acknowledging you were awake "(y/n) you are burning up. I need to get you something to lower your fever." he said.

"But you are warm." you said, still shaking from the cold. "I know, I know. I won't take long I promise." Severus said, getting out of bed and rushing to his study downstairs where he had lots of potions and ingredients. Meanwhile, you curled up on the bed more, if that was even possible.

The Potions Master knew that the curse was starting to get worse and from now and on, it was going to be a countdown to your death, but shaking the awful thought from his head, he focused on getting the potion you needed and after looking through his many storages, he found a small vial with a silvery liquid in it.

A sigh escaped his lips once the bottle was in his hands. Severus sprinted all the way upstairs and towards his bedroom where he saw you laying there, on the bed, limply with one hand hanging out of the bed. He ran at your side, kneeling next to you "(y/n)... (y/n) you need to drink this."

You opened your eyes slightly at the sound of Severus' voice but you could barely move. You felt like you were freezing but at the same time it was hot, your head pounded badly and you just wanted to sleep but you made an effort to keep your eyes open. Severus lifted your head and poured the potion in your mouth, you didn't even notice its nasty flavour when you swallowed the thick liquid.

He put the bottle on your night stand as you returned to a fetal position, Severus climbed back to bed and spooned you as the potion would take some minutes to make any effect. You were shivering and he put his arms around you, trying to warm you up a bit as your fever was not a normal one. This kind of fever was because of the curse and when your time comes, it will get worse, with much more worse symptoms.

After some minutes, your temperature started to get back to normal, Severus touched your forehead and a satisfied sigh escaped his lips. You started to feel more and more tired but you wanted to stay awake. He seemed to notice this and said, while stroking your (h/c) hair "Sleep (y/n), I'll be here when you wake up. You need to rest darling." His soothing voice made you relax and you didn't need to be told twice to rest when you felt this tired. So with that, you closed your eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep.

Severus watched you in your sleep, with now a peaceful aura surrounding you. He buried his face in your hair, taking in your scent of wild roses and vanilla "Oh (y/n), my (y/n)" he muttered in your (h/c) locks.

Out of all the people in the world, why you? The Potions Master asked himself as he stared down at you. It pained him to even think that one day, he would wake up in his bed without you by his side. Severus didn't want to lose you, you were his light, his rock, his everything. But as his eyes trailed your fragile figure, he realized there was absolutely nothing he could do to save you from your fate.

TIME SKIP

When you opened your eyes, it was already dark outside. Severus was no longer on the bed but when you turned your head to the other side of the room, you saw him sitting next to your bed in a chair you assumed he put there because it wasn't there the last time you were awake.

Severus was reading a book, with his only source of light being the small lamp on your nightstand. His onyx eyes looked up from his book for the thousandth time since he sat down next to you, only to be met by a pair of (e/c) orbs.

"How are you feeling (y/n)?" he asked, putting the book aside "Well, I'm not cold anymore but I feel a little tired."

"Would you like to eat something?" you nodded at his question. Making Severus stand up and exit the bedroom only to return a couple of minutes later carrying a silver tray in his hands.

You managed to sit properly on the bed and Severus placed the tray over your legs that were covered by the thin blanket. On the tray there was a bowl with chicken soup and a cup of tea. You smiled kindly at him, "Thank you for taking care of me, Severus." you said "Of course (y/n)." was his answer before he started to feed you the surprisingly delicious soup as you were too weak to even hold the spoon correctly.

Once the bowl was empty, you felt better and now you could hold the cup of tea without dropping it. "Drink this, you should feel better in the morning." he said as he handed you a small vial with a purple liquid inside it.

You didn't question what it was as you trusted Severus with all your heart and without complaining, you downed the substance and handed him back the vial. Finishing your tea, you laid down on the bed once more as a sigh escaped your lips as you started to feel the effects of the potion. "Try to sleep (y/n). I'll get the tray downstairs." you nodded at his words as you closed your eyes again, but before you fell completely asleep, you felt how the bed shrunk next to you before feeling a pair of strong arms pulling you towards what you could only guess was Severus' body.

You laid your head on his chest and as sleep overtook you once more you muttered "I love you Sev." a small smile graced Severus' lips "I love you too (y/n)." you heard him say before you summoned to unconsciousness again.

1499 words

June/09/2021