Follow Me

A/N: Thank you to all that have reviewed the story so far, and a thank you in advance to all those that will continue to do so. I have to admitt it does an ego good to see the number of people that are enjoying this story.







[...] or {...} = mindspeak

~...~ = parseltongue

'...' = thought



CHAPTER 20





Madam Pomfrey released Norische with strict orders to stay in bed; unfortunately, he was way to upset to stay in bed. Norische spent the next several hours pacing his room; Chris and Draco just watched not really knowing what to do. They tried to get him to talk to them but he would just shake his head and return to his pacing. “Nori, all this is not helping the babies. The stress is not good for them.”



“It’s not exactly peachy for me either but I’m dealing with it the best way I know how.” Norische said as he continued to pace. Listening…without letting anyone know that he was doing so.



Nearly four hours later Severus walked back into the suite. Norische was practically in a panic when he heard his father’s voice in the other room. Norische burst into the living room to see Dad and Father talking quietly.



“What in the Hell is going on Father, and don’t you dare tell me we will talk about it later?” Norische demanded breathing heavily.



“Norische what are you talking about?” Severus asked.



“You work for that bastard, the one that has been taking my people and torturing them. How could you? Did you know about me all along? Did you send those bastards to try and get me? Has this all been a huge act? Are you even my father?” The words came out of his mouth before he realized he was saying them. Norische looked directly into Severus’ eyes and gave in to the blackness that threatened him.



Norische fell to the ground limp; both Remus and Severus ran to his side. Severus yelled for Draco and Chris who were waiting in the other room per Norische’s instructions. They burst into the room and ran over to his side the moment they saw him. Remus conjured a stretcher and they all rushed him back to the infirmary.



*****



“Why hasn’t he woke up yet Poppy, it has been days? What’s wrong?” Draco cried.



Chris pulled Draco into his arms and pulled his head down on his shoulder, making soothing noised trying to calm Draco as best as he could. He knew how Draco felt though, Chris desperately wanted answers and no one seemed to have them. No one knew what made Norische slip into a coma, no one knew when or if he would come out of it, and no one knew how to fix things. They knew the babies were ok, and growing normally. Poppy has set up a feeding tube for Norische and both Draco and Chris were donating blood as often as possible to make sure the babies had what they needed.



Severus and Remus offered to donate but Chris had just glared at them. “I think you have done enough, thank you.” But he did agree to allow Blaise, Hermione, Harry, Fred and George to donate when they could. Right now Norische was surviving on a blood and liquid nutrient diet and until he was no longer in a coma that is what he would be dealing with.



Both Chris and Draco had only gone back to their room in the suite to get their clothes and pack a few things. When they were not sleeping in the medical ward, they were staying in the dorm. Every one in Slytherin had been great. Harry, and the twins had been bringing Chris and Draco their meals, and Blaise and Hermione were rounding up their homework and handing it in for them.



Severus and Remus would come by several times a day and check on Norische, it seemed to break their hearts when Chris and Draco would go to the furthest corner in the room and stand, waiting for them to leave. Inevitably, at some point, one if not both the boys would start crying and holding on to the other desperately for support.



Every time Remus and Severus would visit, they would leave with tears flowing down their cheeks. Severus felt as if his entire world was falling apart and he thought he was protecting his son from the harsh truth of whom he was, but in reality it was those secrets that had placed his son in the coma. Severus began drinking quite heavily, and more than once passing out from the amount of alcohol he had drank. Remus knew how he felt; Norische’s final words to his father had torn his father’s heart to shreds.



Within minutes of Norische collapsing Remus had called Pari and told her what happened, at first she was furious. But when they explained everything she was a lot calmer, now she was just worried about her godson. She spent several hours each day by his side. Usually giving Draco and Chris time to go catch a shower and to do any of their practical homework, both boys waited until after potions class to go in and do their practicals. Since both were quite skilled at it, no one was worried that they would blow anything up or cause any major problems. Draco and Chris would bottle up their potions and put their magical signatures on the vials so that Severus would know without a doubt who made which potion. Each day Severus would come into the classroom and find the two vials and their homework from the night before. Each time he saw this, Severus would sit down at his desk and stare off into space, realizing that the boys couldn’t even stand to come to class or be in the same room with him right now.





Two more weeks went by and no change. Chris and Draco were so worried about Norische that at one point Poppy actually had to sedate the boys. Severus sat there beside Norische’s bed in the early hours of the morning; Draco and Chris had been placed in the enlarged bed next to him. Severus took a deep breath and began to explain it all. Telling his unconscious son how he had been a spy for Dumbledore for years now and his part with Voldemort. He told him about the meeting that night and the Dark Lord’s plans with the Vampyres. He told him how much he loved him and how much it hurt to know that the secrets that he had kept had actually hurt him. He told him how he was afraid that he was not a good father and that he thought he didn’t deserve to have a son as wonderful as Norische. He confessed his fears and doubts, and spoke about how much he loved Remus and his life right now and how much he hated himself knowing he had hurt the ones he loved.



Severus lowered his head and cried silently, and then he felt arms around him. Severus jumped at the touch but looked up into the eyes of both Chris and Draco who had tears running down their cheeks. As soon as their eyes met, both boys wrapped their arms around him and began to apologize for everything. Begging for his forgiveness. Severus quickly pulled them both into his arms and held on. At least he had his boys back, now he just had to find a way to help his son.



Just then, Remus and Pari came racing into the medi-ward. “Severus! Severus! What’s happening to him, what’s going on with Nori?” Pari screamed as they came into the room.



Severus jumped out of his seat, drawing both Chris and Draco with him, none of them willing to let go quite yet. “What do you mean? Nothing has changed.” Severus slowly pulled away from Chris and Draco and went over to Norische’s side…looking at him.



“Severus…” Pari tried to speak between gasps. “ I heard him in my mind… he said he was lost…and that you were sad… he was crying… and saying you were in pain. He was begging for someone to find him.” Pari managed as she calmed just a little.



Severus looked at her. “He was mindspeaking with you! Can he hear you? Can you talk to him?” He asked excitedly.



“I tried but its like he can’t really hear me, he knows I am there I think his crying is making it too hard for him to hear.” Pari reached down and touched Norische’s hand. “Severus he is so frightened but all he is thinking about is getting back to you.”



{Norische can you hear me? Norische where are you?} Severus waited but got no response.



“He can’t hear me.” Severus looked at Pari



“Wait…talk to him with your voice, he can hear you speaking, he heard you say that he couldn’t hear you.” Pari appeared to be listening intently. “Apparently you are the only one that he can hear clearly.”



“Norische, please where are you…come to my voice…come to me…” Severus begged as he brushed aside a loose strand of hair from Norische’s forehead.



“He says he can hear you but he can’t see you, it’s too dark.” Pari looked at Severus.



“Just come to my voice, follow my voice son…. Let my voice lead you too me.” Severus kept speaking to Norische in very soft tones, trying to encourage his son in any way he could.



Slowly ever so slowly, the hand Severus was holding began to grip his tighter. “Merlin! He is squeezing my hand! Come on Nori you can do it, just follow my voice.”



Norische’s eyes fluttered open slowly. “Norische!” Chris and Draco exclaimed together and quickly jumped onto the bed with him.



Severus lifted his son’s hand to his lips and kissed it, tears falling on his cheeks. “Norische, I am so… so sorry. Please I never meant for this to happen. I never knew…”



Norische wanted desperately to speak but the feeding tube made it impossible. So, he opened up his mind to his father.



Norische gave his father a gentle smile and whispered. [I know father, I heard you. Forgive me; I should never have doubted you. I love you. Tell Remus I love him too.]



Severus was finding it hard to speak but managed to relay the message. Remus came over to stand beside Severus and put his hand on theirs, and then kissed Severus lovingly. “We have our family back luv.”



Pari went and got the Medi-Witch and had her come check Norische. It only took a few minutes for her to pronounce him fit to leave. She removed the feeding tube and the catheter from him; as the Chris and Draco ran down to tell both the Slytherins and the Gryffindors that Norische was awake. Remus and Pari went back to the suite to get things ready for him to return. Remus even went into the boys’ bath and enlarged the tub quite a bit; it would now hold at least four people and he put in hand rails for Norische to hold onto. Pari cast a few cleaning spells and made sure the bed had fresh linens on it.



Severus stayed by Norische’s side, never letting go of his hand. The feeding tube was rough; he gagged and almost threw up several times. But the catheter was even worse, even with the numbing potion, it felt like he was trying to deliver his babies through that tiny hole. Thankfully, it was over with quickly, and Poppy had taken special precautions to ensure his bladder was quite empty so he wouldn’t need to urinate for a while. She informed him that if she used a longer lasting numbing potion then he would not be able to tell when he needed to relieve himself and he would find it necessary to take certain precautions. Norische knew what she meant and agreed to the other form of numbing potion, there was no way he was wearing a diaper at his age. Unfortunately that meant that about five minutes after she pulled the tube out, he was in pain. Poppy gave him a pain reliever that was safe for the babies and gave Severus a collection of different vials and potions.



After she left the room, Severus helped his son get dressed. Norische tried to slip into his trousers that he had but found that he was about four inches shy of being able to fit into them. Norische looked up at his father and asked. “How long have I been out father?”



Severus looked in his son’s eyes and said. “The Christmas ball is next week.” Severus said calmly.



“WHAT! I have been out for over, what five weeks?” Norische squealed, and Severus nodded.



“Oh gods, at least I didn’t miss Christmas. Father do you know a spell that will size these pants I appear to have gotten a little bigger.” Norische looked down and noticed his belly was indeed quite a bit bigger. The last time he had noticed, he had just started to get a nice little bump, now it was very evident that he was pregnant. Norische smiled and looked over at his father.



“You most certainly have son, here let me take care of that.” With a simple spell, Severus sized his pants to fit and helped him on with his shirt, which ended up being a little tight as well so Severus did a spell on it just to make it more comfortable. “We had better go, I am sure Pari and Remus are wondering where we are by now.”



Severus put his arm around Norische’s waist and they headed out of the infirmary.