Chapter Text
Life after the war was.. harsh. And that was an understatement for sure. The war was hell but this was a new form of torture. A few rouge Death Eaters had found out about Severus' spying after it was revealed to clear his reputation. They'd burnt down Spinners End, thankfully Severus was in a poison based coma, and wouldn't wake up to find out everything he loved was nothing but ashes for another three months.
Severus had been given his own room at the request of Harry. The room was decked in small things, like Severus' Slytherin scarf or a picture of his mother on the wall, the only photo they'd find in the smoking wreckage of Spinners End. Get well cards lined the window, their bright colours and silly little pictures brightened the fake looking room, along with a vase full of Lilies that sat upon the window seal. It was mainly Slytherin students - who blossomed under the protection of Severus's time teaching as head of house - that sent the cards. Hermione, and occasionally Ron, would visit but the person who checked in every day was Harry and Minerva. Neither left him alone if they could help it, it didn't matter if Severus was awake or not. They both felt they owed him something.
It was the start of August, the summer heat trapped outside with the help of a cooling charm cast around the room. Besides the pristine white bed sat Harry on one side and Hermione on the other. The soft beeping of his heart rate played in the background as the two teens spoke in soft voices. Severus' thin body was littered with scars but the majority were fading apart from one or two. They had found two sets initials carved onto Severus' skin when undressing him to check for any other wounds. T.S was cut into the base of his spine, looking faded and dull, whilst L.M was branded onto his hip. No one had figured out who those little letters belonged to, but apart of Harry was too scared to find out. Even with the memories he saw, Severus's life still remained a huge mystery to him, and he couldn't bare digging further into the man's life without consent.
Hermione wore a soft blue summer dress, her bouncy hair pulled back into a bun, apart from the few wild curls that escaped it. "The Burrows gaining its life back, slowly but surely.." Hermione hummed gently to Harry. "George.. he's," Her voice became quiet as she spoke, twiddling with her wand, "Not the same.. not after Charlie, Percy and Fred, but what could you expect?" She whispered.
Harry nodded in understatement, eyes falling to look upon the pale man between them. Harry wore a pair of old jeans, the left knee ripped, with a large t-shirt on. His eyes laid upon Severus' chest, watching as it raised and fell in a soft pattern. Harry's gaze lifted to the old professor's sunken face. A bandage was wrapped tightly around his neck, hiding and shielding the large snake bite wound. Harry almost fell out his chair when he saw the pale eyelids flutter open, revealing the dark, tired pools of darkness behind them.
"Mione! Get a nurse!" Harry hissed in panic at her, standing quickly. The chair behind him was pushed back with a horrid noise, causing the now awake Severus to cringe in his bed. Hermione stood from her own chair and darted out the room, calling for help. Gently, Harry took Severus' bony hand and held it in his warm palm. "Snape, Merlin, I thought we lost you," Harry said, grinning like the prat he was.
Severus was too weak to do anything but lay there, vulnerable to the world, and he fucking hated it. He stared at the ceiling and sighed tiredly. For a few days he was stuck like this, subjected to test after test, to Harry and Minerva's pestering company, but he did not speak a word to anyone. Until one day, he tried.
The bandage around his neck was slowly removed by Poppy. Mangled, fleshy scars were left running along the pale skin of his throat. Severus raised his hand, denying the mirror the nurse offered. He went to decline, opening his lips, but no sound let his mouth apart from a pained grunt.
Poppy watched him with a sad twinkle in her eyes. She looked at Harry knowingly then back to Severus. "The venom.. it paralysed your vocal cords. I'm afraid there is an extremely high chance that you are permanently mute." Poppy whispered softly, like speaking to a child.
Severus took a deep breath and slowly nodded. Maybe this isn't as bad as it appears? Maybe this can work out? He thought to himself. Snape reached to the side of his bedside table and took the pen and paper that sat idly. He began to write, his main means of communication figured out already. Severus passed the slip of paper to Minerva.
Minerva pushed her glasses further up her nose as she licked her dried lip. Se started to read, eyes skimming across the page. "He wants to know if anyone here understands sign language?" She asked, eyes looking up to the others in the room. Everyone present shook their heads.
"Ma-Maybe we can learn it? I'll certainly make an effort. I know Hermione knows a little." Murmured Harry gently. He'd taken to almost living in the hospital after Severus had woken up. Harry was there dawn to dusk, which bothered Severus greatly, but he couldn't express his complaints.
Severus was going to scribble out a reply but the door opened, his Godson walking in with the snake cane Lucius once owned. Draco had gotten off lightly from the war - his parents, however, did not; Lucius had been sentenced to the dementors kiss, leading as a prime example to other Death Eaters, whilst Narcissa fell to the cool grips of deaths sweet release as she hung herself in the manors attic. Draco seemed larger than Severus remembered, more built up, the boy's hair was cut neatly and slicked back. He wore simple black robes. "Uncle, you'll be coming home with me. Spinners End was destroyed, but everything we managed to recuse is currently at Malfoy Manor." Draco stated an air of dominance around him.
The hurt in Severus' eyes was a real look, a true unguarded look that revealed his physical and emotional pain. Spinners End might be the place Severus had spent so long being abused and drowning in tears of self-pity but none the less it was still his home. At least Draco was here, a familiar person he didn't mind the company of, even if he was an arrogant prick.
Harry rose from his seat, hands itching to hex the blonde bastard. Draco had claimed to be visiting whenever Potter wasn't here but Harry wasn't a fool, he knew Draco hardly came. "You cant turn up here demanding crap when you've barely visited!" Harry sneered, dangerously close to biting Malfoys head off.
Draco scoffed lightly, the corners of his lips curling up into a sickening grin. "He is my Godfather, of course, I can, the closest thing he has to a relative is me. With Malfoy Manor empty, I wouldn't mind some company. I suppose uncle Sev would like the lack of it as well.." Draco sneered, looking around at the slightly crowded room. "I'll be back in a week to collect him. Potter, don’t kill him in the meantime, thank you." The young Malfoy left, robes billowing behind him. And true to his word, Draco arrived a week later to take his uncle home.