Just as Poppy and Draco followed by Dumbledore came around the corner Seamus began to choke. Severus stopped his ministrations and gladly let Poppy take over.
She rolled him onto his side so he could vomit if it should be necessary and began to rub his back gently.
But he immediatly grew tense and tried to flinch away from her touch.
So she removed her hand and let him breath.
"Seamus, it's Poppy Pomfrey. You have to take this potion so we can help you."
At first he didn't even react then he slowly turned himself on his back and opened his mouth. After swallowing the potion he went fast back to sleep. She had given him a sleeping draught.
"We have to get him to the hospital wing. There I will need help to remove his clothing something seems to be wrong with his back!" She explained as they made it up the stairs.
On their way they encountered Minerva McGonagall and the other Gryffindors.
"What has Mr. Finnigan done now? First he slept through the lesson and then he takes flight!" she said rather scathingly.
"He ran into us in the Dungeons and suddenly stopped breathing so when you would let us pass we could see what is wrong with him!" Severus snapped back at her.
Then there was the sound of gasping he now knew as Seamus trying to breath.
He turned around only to see Poppy kneeling over him with her wand and trying
to get him to calm down.
When he suddenly stopped breathing altogether again.
"SEVERUS! Come here, you got him to breath the last time. I don't know anything about muggle mouth-to-mouth. So you will breath for him." Poppy ordered him.
Sev knelt down and began to breath air into him again. Some students gasped as they thought that Snape was kissing Seamus but Harry and the other that knew muggles explained it to them.
"EHH, Snape is kissing Seamus. How disgusting to do this to a boy who isn't concious. He is such a pervert!" Ginny exclaimed. She had made it pretty clear that she was against all gay people. As long as she had her Harry all was fine. Ginny would be famous once she got him to go out with her. Then they would marry, he would play Quidditch and she would stay at home and rise their kids. She would be Mrs. Potter.
Harry had made it clear to her that he didn't like her that way. The one time she tried to kiss him he pushed her away and told her that his first kiss is for the one he loved. As she answered that she was the one he had gotten so angry that he told her to stay away from him.
Ron had been shocked. He knew that Harry wasn't in love with Ginny but as he Harry told him what she tried and said he got so angry that he nearly shattered his hand on a wall. How could his sweet little sister do this? After that he paid more attention and saw how she tried to control all people around her specially Harry. And Hermione was the one always with her, helping her while trying to get into his pants. He had a crush on her for most of school. But than he paid attention to those around him and saw a certain blond always looking at him. At first he thought Malfoy was planning something but over the time nothing happened and Malfoy was still looking. After that he paid more attention to the blond Slytherin. How he walked, talked, ate, wrote in class, how he looked when he concentrated. That was until Harry told him that it was becoming obvious to others.
Only then did he register that he never told Harry about his feelings for Drac...Malfoy. He really must have been pretty obvious. One day Harry talked to him in the rooms the two shared.
Flashback
"Ron, are you lusting after the git Malfoy?" Harry asked without much force behind the insult.
"I don't know. I just…can't stop looking at him…thinking about him. Now I am even dreaming about him. Do you hate me, Harry? Because I think I am gay? And in love with Malfoy?"
"No. That would be inappropiate. I could never hate you and I am gay myself."
"Oh…but not in love with me or him, are you?" Ron knew he wouldn't ever have a chance if Harry was in love with Malfoy.
"I am in love with a Malfoy, too. But not this one. Rather his father, Lucius." After that Harry looked uncertain at Ron. The Weasleys' had always hated the Malfoys'. Would Ron understand his love for a much older man?
"Ehm…Harry? You know that he is twenty years older, has a son and is a Slytherin?" Ron asked in a rush. He couldn't believe it. Harry in love with Lucius Malfoy? ‚Thankfully it is not Draco.'
"Yes. You can't always choose with whom you fall in love with. And as we worked together he became much friendlier and not evil. It hit me then that he is beautiful. Not just he body mind you, but also his soul. All the time he had to hide his true self from everyone apart Snape and Draco and then when the oppertunity arises he takes it and frees everyone in the process. You can't tell me that this is what a evil person would do."
Harry was right, Ron realised. And when he was in love with a Malfoy and Harry was in love with a different Malfoy...It was all ok then. They could cope with this.
Just would their friends understand this?
Ginny was totally against gay people and always ridicult them. Blaise and Neville were always her target when no other Slytherin was near. She even seemed to hate Remus Lupin after he managed to confess his love to Sirius Black. That had been a surprise to everyone, because Sirius had grown quiter and let Remus often take the lead in everything.
*Even in bed as it seems.*
That really seemed to be the case as Siri couldn't sit right most times at breakfast. Then the shock as the two bonded and Remus bit him. Now Siri was Remus mate. And pregnant as it seemed that werewolves could do this only to their mate. Siri was happy. You could see that in the glow that surrounded him. Now in his third month he was plagued by Morning sickness and couldn't leave their rooms for long.
"I envy Padfoot and Moony. They are free to do what they think is right without caring what others might think about them." Harry interupted his thought. Evidently he had thought about the same things as he had.
"Yes Ginny is going to hate this. Hermione will hate me because she tried again to ask me on a date whether I tell her that I am just her friend. Neville and Blaise will be happy. They won't be the only gay people out then. But I think we shouldn't tell just yet. It is impossible to come together with two people that hate us, Harry. What should we do?"
"Wait and see. We can try and end the housefighting at first. Not just for our sake but generally. This would give us the chance to show that we don't hate Slytherins."
Flashback end
And this was the decision the two held dear. The fighting after that was lesser
than ever before. Without the support of Harry and Ron everyone seemed to realise
that it had been childish what they had done. Sure there were pranks played
but nothing malicious. Now one of their own was lying here dying and Ginny and
Hermione didn't even try to help. They just looked on in disgust as Snape breathed
air into Seamus. What had been wrong with Seams? Always before the vacation
he became nervous and skittish. What could they do to help him?
As Seamus began breathing for himself again Sev took his hand while stroking
his hair in such a tender way that everything around them went silent. Even
Lucius and Draco were shocked that Sev would show that much emotion in public.
They didn't doubt his feelings for the boy but now they could see that if Seamus
died they would loose him too.
With Severus holding Seamus hand they made their way to the hospital wing.
Leaving a stunned group of students, Gryffindors and Slytherins, behind.
tbc