Green Is The Colour Of.....

Thank you to my reviewers, Lilith, KnowingDivine, Alaine, and of course, SickPuppy, for taking the time to let me know what you think. Let me know what you think of this too!


On to the next installment.



Misery




It took an agonisingly long time for Severus' wounds to close and heal, and even longer for the Healers to repair his vocal chords.


Harry seemed to have made Severus and his recovery his new mission in life, visiting him daily, reading the paper to him, talking incessantly, and making Severus sometimes wish his voice worked simply to be able to shout "Silence!", as he used to.


He never wished this more than when the boy began, as he was wont to do, speaking of his mother, and what he'd seen in the memories Severus had given him. His frustrations at not being able to speak, to tell the boy of all the memories he hadn't had the chance to give him, got the better of him then and he would close his eyes, willing back the tears that always threatened.


It was what Harry didn't know that undid Severus every time, and he lay there in pain and misery, listening, yet trying not to as the boy spoke of Lily. Harry usually ended up dissolving into tears himself, burying his head in his arms and crying into the bedclothes, muttering about how sorry he was and that he wished things had turned out differently for both of them.


Severus agreed wholeheartedly with that sentiment, his own pain and misery was a testament to that, and he wished for nothing more than to be able to comfort the boy. Hold him through his tears and assure him all was forgiven, that he'd never hated him, and to tell him the truth.


But it was already too late.


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It took a long time, but eventually the wound in Severus' neck did close and begin to heal, and he began to regain his strength little by little. This seemed to galvanise Harry past his pain, and he now focused his energies on helping Severus through the agony of rehabilitating his body.


Although pouring the anti-venom into Severus had saved his life, it hadn't negated all the effects of the filthy snake's venom. Some had, of course, entered his bloodstream before Harry had dosed him, and had caused some transient paralysis. This was not as bad as it could have been, thanks to a goodly amount of his blood gushing forth from his neck, but it did take some time to work it's way out of his system, leaving his limbs quite stiff as a result.


The Healers had performed several magical surgeries before finally succeeding in getting his torn vocal chords to mend, casting countless healing spells to ensure they stayed mended, and administering an enormous amount of healing potions before Severus was allowed to try them out. At first his voice was very faint and raspy, but, along with his body, it too began to strengthen, although was rough, possibly to stay that way according to the Healers.


Nevertheless, it was a happy day indeed when Harry came bursting unexpectedly into his hospital room, startling Severus into barking out, "Potter!" as he had when the boy was still his student, freezing the boy in his tracks.


Wide emerald eyes filled with tears, making Severus immediately sorry. Before he could voice his apology, the boy startled him again, rushing to embrace Severus, crying.


"I never thought I'd hear that sound again," Harry wept into an astonished Severus' shoulder. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."


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Now that Severus finally had his voice back, he could think of nothing to say. Everything he had so yearned to tell the boy seemed pointless now. Harry was happier than Severus had ever seen him, seeming to have accepted the realisation that he was no longer living a doomed life, and actually had a choice as to the course his life would now follow.


He chatted animatedly now about Kingsley Shacklebolt's invitation to join the Auror Office, as well as his friends and their future plans. Weasley and Granger were engaged to be married. The Weasley girl was currently back at Hogwarts finishing her final year. Minerva McGonagall was now Headmistress. The older Weasley boy, Bill, and his wife had just had their first child. The middle boy, Percy, had reconsiled with his family. The Weasley girl, Ginny, was also a star Quidditch player for Gryffindor, and was being mentored by Gwenog Jones of the Holyhead Harpies.


Severus noticed that Harry chattered incessantly about the Weasley's; he was apparently spending most of the time he wasn't with Severus at the Burrow in their company. He noticed that most of Harry's chattering centered on Ginny Weasley in particular, and that the boy seemed to be quite close with her. Apparently, although Harry never said exactly so, he and the girl had resumed their relationship.


That Harry was definitely happier these days was obvious, and while Severus was relieved at that, it only further enforced his belief that what he had longed to tell the boy was better left unsaid. Harry had moved on from the misery of his past life. He now had a whole new one to live. Why drag up what couldn't be helped nor changed? All that they both had lost? Giving voice to those memories could only cause them both more pain.


Let the boy be happy.


Severus resigned himself to his own silent misery.


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