Roused

Monday came and went, and Severus still did not awaken. Tuesday morning arrived and still, Severus showed no signs of stirring. Despite their busy schedules Rowan and Lily were Severus's most constant of visitors besides their friends. Hogwarts would have been filled with gossip concerning Severus's prolonged stay in the infirmary, but Madam Pomfrey and the rest of the Professors merely insisted that Severus was recovering from a bad cold. It was by far more popular to gossip about the romance between the two Divination Professors, Ronan, the centaur, and Professor Sybill Trelawney. Why even the purebloods were intrigued as such a rare pairing only happened in the romantic novellas!

It was late Tuesday evening nearly curfew, but Rowan still remained sitting next to Severus. Madam Pomfrey had long ago given up on persuading Rowan to retire for the evening and instead tended to the rest of her patients in the infirmary. There was a bought of flu going around and the infirmary was busier than usual. It seemed to put Madam Pomfrey in a good mood to have so many patients about!

Sitting in the chair next to Severus's bed, Rowan turned the page of the textbook, before raising her gaze to study her brother. Severus looked less gray than before, but he stilled looked pale. His breathing was steady in a deep slumber. Her midnight indigo eyes moved up and lingered on the silver locks of hair amid Severus's dark hair, before returning to her book.

Unable to concentrate, Rowan set her book aside and leaned back in contemplation. She had to admit ever since her encounter with Barrett Boone, she had been filled with a lingering sense of unease. The thought that Severus lay completely unguarded in the infirmary filled her with a previously unknown fear. She shuddered what ill might befall her brother or worse what could be done to him while in a deep slumber. Still, Severus had been capable of throwing the Imperius curse by Professor Lowe (aka the polyjuiced, Death Eater, Dearil Pyrites). She could only hope that even unconscious Severus would still be capable of resisting anything that might be thrown at him.

A low groan startled Rowan out of her gloomy thoughts. Her eyes widen with relief at seeing Severus stirring with a deep frown on his face. Scowling, Severus's onyx-colored eyes snap open. A bit bewildered and feeling rather grouchy, he opens his parched mouth and can only mouth the word, "water."

Rowan hurriedly grabs a pitcher of water on the tray at the end of the bed and pours a cup of cold water for Severus. Carefully returning, she holds the cup to Severus's lips, who greedily drink down the cup until he can drink no more. Leaning back against his pillow in a low hoarse voice, he says, "What day is it?"

"It's Tuesday night," Rowan quietly replied. "You've been in the infirmary since Saturday night."

"Ah," Severus sighed glancing at the ceiling counting the three days in his mind. "That's a long time," he reluctantly admitted. "Have you been here with me this whole time?"

"Mostly," Rowan truthfully replied, "but Lily has as well and so has everyone else. You rightly scared Kneazles out of all of us, Severus." She carefully paused to glance at Severus for his reaction. "Do you remember what happened that night?"

"I felt as though I was burning up from the inside out," Severus grimly mumbled. "I couldn't stop the wildfire raging inside of me, it hurt so bad until I knew no more." He glanced pointedly up at his twin. "So, what happened on your end?"

Rowan omitted her stay at the infirmary and instead said, "Grandfather was summoned by Professor Dumbledore and sealed a portion of your magic. Apparently, you awakened into your full magic a year early and resulting in the negative occurrence."

"Tch," Severus clicked his tongue against his teeth. "It would figure. Just my luck." He sighs and glances at Rowan with a crinkle of a smile in the corner of his face. "Well, at least you came out of it fine."

Rowan carefully kept her face blank as Severus slowly sat up feeling rather dizzy. Rowan quickly fluffs up his pillow for Severus to lean back and rest against. After the spell passed, Severus rubbed his head and frowned at feeling a bit of grease there. He typically showered every day, but he had surely only had been kept clean with a cleaning spell and freshening charm which are not the same thing as an actual bath.

Grimacing, Severus shifts into a comfortable position only to feel that his bladder is full. His eyes catch a glimpse of a shiny cooper bedpan hiding just under the corner of the bed. He sneers at the bedpan, before flushing red in mortification and scowling to cover his embarrassment. "Help me to the loo," he gruffly said. "I don't think I can make it there on my own."

"Grab my hand," Rowan instructed taking Severus's cold hand in her own and using her hand to grab him by the back of his gown before Severus's bare feet moved forward. Leaning against Rowan, Severus hobbled forward across the infirmary until he arrived at the loo. "Call me if you fall down," Rowan sternly said leaving him at the door.

Severus stiffly nods his head at his twin's words, before holding onto the wall to make his way to a cubicle inside. After taking care of his urgent business, he manages to make his way across the tiled floor to the sink. He does not glance at his reflection until he was done washing his hands. Drying his hands on his patient gown, he glances up and stiffens at catching a difference in his reflection.

Leaning closer Severus's onyx eyes become transfixed at the thin silver streak in the corner of his temple. Reaching up he touches the silver streak of hair only to find that the silver streak trails down to the tip of his roots. A strange laugh burst out of his mouth as he isn't sure what to make of the unexpected transformation. His laughter dies down, before he solemnly mutters to himself, "Well, it could have been worse." He could have grown a head full of silver hair overnight. In retrospect, this was much less conspicuous.

Wobbling out of the bathroom, Rowan patiently waits for Severus to emerge, before helping them back to his bed. Madam Poppy Pomfrey is rather unhappy and pointedly taps her foot against the floor. "Miss Prince, I understand your concern, but Mr. Prince is under my care," the infirmary matron pointedly declared. "In the future, I expect to be summoned and not be forced to find my unconscious bed-stricken patient gone!"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Rowan sheepishly replied, while Severus looked at the picture of innocence lying back in bed, while Rowan appeared as the chief instigator and at fault for everything.

"Now then it is past curfew, Miss Prince, off to bed you go!" Madam Pomfrey sternly said.

"I would request a private word with Severus before I go," Rowan sincerely asked.

"Very well, but no more than five minutes," Madam Pomfrey said. "I will be counting!" She matter-of-factly stated, before rushing off with her red skirts trailing after her to attend a wheezing patient.

Drawing the white linen curtains around them, Severus glances at Rowan with an arched brow as she packs up her bag and carefully removes an extra wand from her bag. "Here," she said holding out a 13 ½ inch Blackthorn wand with a dragon heartstring core that is quite firm. "You should never be without your wand, Sev," she quietly stressed.

"Thanks," Severus genuinely said taking his Blackthorn wand from his twin sister's grasp. His wand had been with him ever since his 1st year at Hogwarts and he truly felt naked without his wand at his side. A warmth spread through his insides, before slipping his wand under his pillow knowing that he would sleep that much better.

Severus glances expectantly at Rowan, but she merely ruffles the top of his head just as she used to when they were children. Severus unhappily moves his head out of reach, before Rowan leaned closer to whisper, "Keep your wand close, Severus," before grabbing her school bag from the chair.

Severus stares seriously at the departing form of his twin. It was a warning. Ensuring that his wand is well within reach, he tiredly lays back down feeling sleepy again. However, before he can fall asleep Madam Pomfrey arrives to check his temperature and force a potion down his throat along with some sweets to wash away the bitter taste. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep but even then, he curled up on his side with his back towards the wall and facing the door so to speak.