Severus sent Lily a Patronus when he was next awake and she entered the Hospital Wing tentatively.

"Hello, Severus," she said shyly.

He smiled at her.

"Hi, Lils."

"How are you doing?"

Severus contained his inner annoyance at being asked the same question for the umpteenth time. This was Lily, after all. He could be restrained around Lily.

"A lot better, thanks."

He'd only been in the Hospital Wing for four days but he was already starting to see improvements, giving that he'd spent the first two days in a coma.

"How did you even get involved with them, Sev?" Exclaimed Lily suddenly. "One minute they've never heard of you; the next, you're duelling in the Entrance Hall!"

Severus didn't bother to contradict her.

"It was because of my potion," he told her. Truth was, it could've been because of his general stance on Voldemort but Severus decided to settle for the easy answer. He had claimed recognition for the Wolfsbane Potion shortly after Bulstrode's lesson on werewolves to further antagonise her. "I noticed them giving me dark looks at the Sorting Ceremony, then they probably heard about my defence of werewolves in DADA from someone."

"Oh, Severus," she said, anguished, sitting down and taking his hand. "I wish you wouldn't annoy everyone."

"I don't do it on purpose!" He protested.

"Sometimes I wonder," she replied, smiling.

He lay back as there was an awkward silence. She still held onto his hand.

"Sev, I just wish you wouldn't keep getting hurt. I know you're strong, that you can handle it, but it stresses me out. For once, just spend a year not getting into trouble, getting detention or fighting with Death Eaters. Do it for me."

Severus looked into her eyes, moved by her speech.

"I can't promise that, Lils - you know how much I love getting into trouble."

She gave a watery chuckle, sighing as she did so.

"I know but I thought I'd ask anyway."

He smiled at her and she smiled back, before seeming to remember something.

"Bradley is very angry with you, by the way," she said.

Severus groaned.

"I knew there was somebody I'd forgotten about. I promised to be at practices this time."

"I'm sure she'll understand," Lily reassured, squeezing his hand.

He gave her a questioning look.

"Bradley's a Quidditch Captain. Captains don't understand normal human behaviour, or excuses."

"Sounds like you'd be a good captain, then," Lily pointed out, laughing.

Severus shook his head in despair.

"I would not want that job. I don't want responsibility."

"Keep telling yourself that," she said, amused. "Anyway, I've got to go now. I've heard that Remus will be popping in with the boys later. Stay awake until then."

"Will do," he murmured, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

*

As expected, Remus did turn up after classes with Nicholas, Edgar and George.

"Snape!" Cried Nicholas, sarcastically. "So good to see you alive!"

"You scared half the school," Edgar commented drily.

"And yet none of you care," Severus said, smirking.

"We do care," George said, aghast, missing the joke.

"Do we?" Murmured Edgar.

Nicholas rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I figured you'd like something to do. Remus kindly brought you your homework."

"I'm honoured," responded Severus, dumping the pile of homework on his bedside table.

"And I," stated Nicholas, "thought about who I was getting a present for and decided a book would be a better bet."

"Ooh, nice," Severus commented, sitting up. "Which book?"

"Your copy of 'Advanced Potion Making'," Nicholas presented it, looking smug. "You could add to those annotations of yours."

"Thanks, Nicholas," Severus said, sounding genuinely appreciative.

"You're welcome," Nicholas answered. "Now George, Edgar and I must be off - I've heard tell that a particularly angry Quidditch Captain is headed this way."

"Want me to stay?" Murmured Remus, watching the doors as the other three left.

"Yes," muttered Severus, eyes trained on the doors too. "You're my excuse."

"I'm going to bloody kill you, Snape!" Bradley hissed, striding into the Hospital Wing a few minutes later.

"Unfortunately, people have already tried that and failed," Severus commented lightly.

"What did I say to you after the last match? Was it, or was it not, something along the lines of 'turn up to every damn practice'?"

"Bradley," said Severus, trying to be reasonable, "there's no way I could've seen this coming."

"Oh yeah?" Bradley said, firing up.

Remus stepped in.

"Be considerate," he advised quietly, thinking Severus couldn't hear. "He's been through a lot."

Bradley acknowledged this and then turned back to Severus.

"Now, Snape, I understand that you're in pain_"

"I'll play in the next match."

Remus and Bradley both blinked at this interruption.

"Severus," Remus said immediately, "Think clearly. You obviously won't be up to doing this."

"It's my life, Remus," Severus pointed out. "I can't guarantee that I'll have steady hands, but I'll catch that Snitch for you, Bradley."

The girl looked bewildered. She wasn't used to being 'one-upped'.

"Well_ Thank you, Snape."

When Bradley had left, Remus turned to Severus.

"This is lunacy, Severus. You're being an utter dimwit. Your hands shake, for heavens' sake!"

Severus turned a withering look on his friend.

"You think I haven't noticed?" He asked icily. "I plan to catch that Snitch in record time. I can be back in the Hospital Wing before Madam Pomfrey even notices that I've gone."

"Is this just to keep up appearances?" Remus questioned. He cocked his head to one side. "I think most people prefer a hero who appears human every once in a while."

Severus shook his head.

"It's just as well that I'm not a hero, then."

*****

A.N. For a start, I'd like to say that I'm doing my best to reply to all the hundreds of notifications you guys are giving me. I honestly appreciate having 200 notifications this morning but, unfortunately, Wattpad has decided to screw up. As such, I can see the notifications but I can't currently seem to reply to them as there's some sort of 'internal error'. Furthermore, I can't see how many reads I have so it might say that I have 99 comments on a chapter (thanks Cassie and the Marvel army xD) but 0 reads which is pretty depressing. Please bear with me as I battle with Wattpad and I'm sure most of you know anyway that I reply extremely quickly usually.

According to my own creative license, the Cruciatus Curse damages the nerves and so results in shaking hands. I think there's a chapter in Redemption where I explain about how Severus has been cursed so many times with the Cruciatus Curse (as an adult in his previous life) that his hands have started to shake permanently and that soon it'll either kill him or he'll have to retire as a Potions Master. Enjoy my stretching of the truth! xD

Thank you so much for reading and please comment!!!