Severus did not succumb to sleep while he stayed in the Hospital Wing. He watched through half-closed eyes as Poppy brought Remus back from the Shrieking Shack and tucked him into the bed next to him. Immediately once Poppy had returned to her office, Remus approached Severus.
"What are you doing here, Severus?" He asked, weary but concerned.
Severus attempted a wry grin. "I encountered Caretaker Pringle in a nice bout of detention," he joked.
Remus frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means, 'don't get on the wrong side of a man who beats people for his own sadistic pleasure'," Severus retorted, turning on his side again. Remus simply followed, going round the bed to the other side and perching in the chair there.
"Pringle beat you?" Remus whispered, wide-eyed.
Severus nodded grimly.
"Does it hurt?" The werewolf stretched out a hand and Severus instantly moved out of his reach, wary. He had never learned to accept physical comfort from anybody besides Dumbledore, and then, only sparingly. "I'm sorry," the boy added.
Severus avoided the other's eye. "Madam Pomfrey healed the wounds with Dittany, I think. I was out of it."
He allowed Remus to think what he wanted about that statement and shifted slightly as Remus inhaled deeply through his nose.
"I'm sorry," the Ravenclaw repeated again. "I'll let you get some rest." He stood. "By the way, the potion worked. I cannot thank you enough. I can be myself; I'll never have to worry about biting someone," he said eagerly.
Severus winced. "Always worry about biting someone," he replied harshly. "Then you'll never do it."
Remus walked back to his bed in silence. No sound emitted from either bed. The two boys just lay there, thinking, each about the other.
*
Lily arrived in the morning. She had been told about Severus' disposition by Anna Brown, who had been told by Melissa Abbott, who had been first informed by Ashley Patil, of Ravenclaw. The only house not aware of the whole incident was Slytherin, and they simply didn't care about the fate of an insignificant little Ravenclaw. She entered the Hospital Wing, having been directed by a friendly Prefect to its location, and was surprised to see Severus sitting up in one of the beds talking to his housemate Remus Lupin, who sat in the nearest bed. Both looked pale and tired, but Severus' face lit up when he saw her.
"Lily!"
"Sev." She enveloped him in a warm embrace, and noted when he stiffened slightly. She quickly released him and he gave a sigh of relief. Remus watched with interest from his bed. "I heard from Anna, what happened. Has he been punished?" She asked furiously.
Severus laughed. "I was the one in detention, Lils," he reminded her, using the old nickname he'd created for her when they'd first met. He hadn't used it for years, and Lily blushed sweetly.
"But he used... a whip," she whispered the last part, as though it was a forbidden word. Which of course it wasn't, especially to Severus. But Lily had been lovingly protected, wrapped in cotton wool for her entire life and she'd missed out on the other side of humanity from whence darkness came.
"And I'm fine," Severus reassured her. "Aren't I Remus?" He asked the other patient, his eyes telling Remus to agree.
"Yes," Remus said, reluctantly playing his part. "He's fine, Evans, he really is."
Lily stepped back to take in the view of the Hospital Wing's second occupant.
"Call me Lily, Lupin," she said. "I've never been Evans; that's my father." It was similar to what Severus had said once about his own name and she glanced at him briefly when saying it.
"Then call me Remus," the Ravenclaw responded smiling, "everyone does. Except Severus, who declines to be informal."
Lily giggled. "That does sound like Sev. When are you boys being released?"
"Honestly, Lily, you make it sound like a prison sentence," Severus spoke drily, getting out of bed and performing a spell to iron out the wrinkles in his rumpled uniform. "I'm going now. Coming, Lupin?"
The other emerged from beneath his covers, blushing as Lily caught sight of him in his childish pyjamas. "Severus?" He pleaded.
Severus raised his wand, and with a flick Remus was back in his uniform. Then the three left, forgetting about the wrath of one matron of Hogwarts.