Forever Yours

Chapter 18: Spoofhounds vs. Sidewinders

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OCs (Katherine, Septimus, Helena, Christoph, Elisa, Henry, Nick and any name you don't recognize, and isn't from the HP universe) are entirely my own.

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Severus didn't know what was worse - watching over an unconscious Katherine after her injury from Bellatrix, or having to live with a pissed off Katherine, who wasn't allowed out of bed for an entire week. It was getting to the point that he would have picked the unconscious one. Unfortunately.

Although Katherine worked on potion notes and research for him, by the end of the week she was bored out of her mind. She had already read just about every new book in the house, plus a few that Elisa would bring over. But those books would tend to end up on the floor after the first few pages.

"Bloody books," Katherine grumbled, as she laid in bed the following Saturday morning. A thick paperback novel slipped from her fingers and landed with a thud on the hardwood floor below.

"What's wrong with that one?" Severus asked, as he levitated the reminisce of the breakfast in front of him.

"Every books Elisa has brought over has been a romance novel," Katherine complained, rubbing her hand over her eyes. "Every one of them has been about a witch in distress being rescued by a wizard with too much muscle and the mental capability of a mountain troll."

"Then why read them Katherine?" Severus asked with a sigh, as he waved his wand and send the dishes floating towards the kitchen.

"Because I have nothing else to do Sev," Katherine snarled. "I've been stuck in this bloody bed all week long, and I've done everything I can possible think of. Except..."

"Except what?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are...are you brewing today?" Katherine asked, becoming suddenly quiet.

"No," Severus said, shaking his head. "I completed St. Augustine's order yesterday. Elisa took it with her after your checkup."

"Then," Katherine paused, "Will you come back to bed with me for a little while?"

"Katherine, you know Elisa said that we are not suppose to..."

"I'm not talking about having sex Severus," Katherine snapped lightly. "I just...I just want to discuss something important with you. That's all." She looked down at her hands in her lap, as the suddenly silence seemed to become awkward for the both of them.

"Ah," Severus muttered, clearing his throat a bit. "Just let me set a spell on the dishes and I'll be right back."

"Alright," Katherine murmured, before Severus left the room. He quickly made his way to the kitchen and set the spell for the dishes to begin washing and drying themselves. He paused for a moment, leaning against the counter, and ran his hands over his face. Severus couldn't wait for Elisa to come back today and declare Katherine healthy enough to get out of bed. Katherine hadn't displayed any signs of fainting again since last Saturday, and seemed well enough, to him anyway, but the Healer insisted she remained in bed for the whole week.

Slowly, Severus pushed himself away from the counter and padded back to the bedroom. He hadn't dressed that morning, something that he had started doing on Saturdays and Sundays after the boy left. He was surprised how bloody comfortable those pajama pant things could be, and found himself more relaxed in them as time went by.

As he returned to the bedroom, he found Katherine propped up against the headboard with the Dumbledore Family Tree book in her hands. Her eyes were narrowed in on the page, quickly moving from left to right then back again.