Your Health Comes First

Severus remained standing looking at his reflection, thinking of Dumbledore's words, he then wondered if Lily could see him right through the boy's eyes, she must be, he has the exact color of her eyes that swallowed him whole. Severus stared at the young boy who was sleeping peacefully under the blanket seeing him breathing raspy. He stood there looking at the boy with his cold eyes and he started hearing him mumbling in his sleep and whimpering from the feverish heat. 

Severus walked to the bed, touching his forehead and disturbed by the heat temperature of his fever, he soaked the rag, squeezed it, and set it on Harry's forehead hearing him whimper and then sighed a wheeze and Severus rested his hand on his forehead.

"Dad...dy...", Harry whispered weakly and Severus stared at him with wide eyes, seeing Harry being half-awake and smiling at him with eyes peeked open but still closed. "Daddy...", he whispered again, slowly sitting up and hugging the potion wizard professor tight with his face burying rubbing his face while Severus continued staring at the sickly child with confusion, shock, embarrassment, and anger eyes locked on the boy.

Harry believes I'm his blasted father.

"Harry, unhand me at once. Now", he snapped with a loud tone, he immediately grabbed Harry's hand trying to release his robe but the sickly boy held him tighter, nuzzling his face and whimpering.

"Let go of me now, Harry", he said in a gravelly annoyed voice.

"Don't...go, Daddy...please don't go...pretty please...". He felt his precious robe being soaked from the boy's tears.

The annoyed teacher felt his behavior change in an instant from the sound of the boy's voice, "Harry, let me go", Severus ordered again in a silent calming voice, Harry whined again.

"I'm sorry,...Daddy,...don't...leave me...I love you...I'm glad you're here...", Severus wasn't sure what was happening and what he was hearing from the Potter boy. "I love you, Daddy", the boy sleepily mumbled then fell back to sleep with a content smile while the teacher gazed down at him with an empty expression.

Severus sees how peaceful Harry is sleeping his his face half-buried in his robes then slowly lowers him into bed covering him in his blanket and resumes staring at the boy, Severus stares at the door, walks to the doorway sees no one in sight, meaning Dumbledore, he closed the door, walks back to the bed, sat on his chair and began to stroke the sickly Harry on the face and cheek gently.

He wasn't sure why he was doing such a thing, it was embarrassing for him to do such a ridiculous waste of time tending to a child and comforting him in such an absurd manner. 

"I don't know why I am doing this. For you for that matter, but...try to get better soon", he said while ignoring his frustrated thoughts ordering him to cease his comforting strokes on Harry's forehead.

Harry's sickness continued for two days more, his fever was high, and his raspy breathing was as severe as his fever, many concerns flooded Ron, Hermione, McGonagall, and Dumbledore, but Severus continued to watch over the boy with growing weights of worry that growing so rapidly it was presenting itself even though he tried to hide it. As Harry struggled with his worsening condition, the wizard by his side refused to leave. He watched over the boy with a keen eye, offering comfort and support. Despite the best efforts of Madam Pomfrey, who administered the last dose of medicine, her words were filled with fear and uncertainty. "There is nothing I can do for him", she said, her voice heavy with concern. "I fear it's all up to him now" The wizard remained steadfast, his eyes never leaving Harry's face, as the boy's fate hung in the balance.

Severus would walk around the room with eyes glaring at the ill child with cold eyes showing concern in them as his stony expression. Finally, on the third day of being wrecked in fever, Harry started moving underneath his cover, the wizard heard a slight moan coming from Harry who began to flutter his tired eyes blinking to be opened and Severus watched him make an adorable yawn with a small cough and opened his tired heavy eyes and smiled tiredly.

Severus calmed his feelings of relief and joy seeing those green eyes open and stared at him stoically in his usual appearance. "Potter, I see you are finally awake at last. It took you long enough", he spoke in a serious tone and removed the wet cloth from his forehead feeling the fever now gone. "And your fever has also faded away at last. I must take my leave to find Albus and inform him that you've finally recovered from your illness", he replied in a harsh tone to the boy without looking at him then felt a tug pull on the collar sleeve of his arm, Severus turned seeing the boy looking at him.

His green eyes stopped Severus for a moment, but he reverted to his usual cold presence to fright him to make Harry let go, but the boy remained staring at him with a small smile on his innocent face. "What? What do you want, boy?" He said irritably. Harry kept his innocent face. "Answer my question, boy, now", he callously demanded.

"I don't want you to go. I want you to stay with me", he answered with a whimper. "You make me feel...safe"

Severus stared at him with his angered cold eyes, "I have been staying here by your side for such torturous days after the old man and McGonagall ordered me to, I have done my duty and you did yours to get better and now you are better I can leave now and to get you out of my sight", Severus cruelly answered in an angered voice then snatched his sleeve from Harry's hand making his way to the door. 

"Wait! *cough cough* Please, don't go", Harry weakly begged fighting to sit himself up and slumping on the side of the bed while panting raspy wheezes. Severus turned and saw the boy trying to sit himself up but was still weak and nearly close to falling on the floor, and without a single thought or letting the boy he disgusted so dreadfully, he quickly rushed to him, catching him from falling out of bed.

"Harry, no! Don't fight! Stay down, child. You're still weak. Lie back and rest, your strength still needs recovering", he spoke with a hint of an unusual tone of worry.

Harry reached his hand on Severus' robe tighter gently pulling him. "Don't...leave me, Sir, please...", he whined.

Severus makes a small nod. "All right, boy, I'll stay with you...until you fall asleep, you still look exhausted", he replied seeing Harry's eyes and smiling at him.

"Okay, thank you, Sir...I'm glad you're...here...", he whispered then Severus watched him slowly fall back to sleep. 

Severus stared at him and slowly caressed his hand on the dark locks of his hair and forehead soothingly hearing Harry moan. "Of course, child. Your health comes first, foolish boy. Your health always comes first, Harry, now get some rest, child", he softly whispered and kissed the boy on the forehead that was warm and welcoming with...love. Severus lifted his head and slapped his lips with his hand with dilated eyes at what he had just done. 

Did I just kiss him on the forehead?! 

A warm chuckle came from behind, the wizard turned and Severus felt his entire face turning red seeing Dumbledore standing in the room smiling with soft slow clapping hands careful not to wake the boy.

"Well done, Severus, you do have a kind heart after all, lad", he chuckled.

Severus growled and marched to him with his burning face and eyes intensely staring at Dumbledore. "You. Will. Not. Dare. Speak. Of. What. I've. Done. To. Anyone", he snarled talking about the kiss, knowing the headmaster witnessed it, and Dumbledore chuckled again.

"Do not worry, I won't utter a word...perhaps"

Severus scoffed then turned to the slumbering Harry.

 I am getting soft for the boy.