“Severus?” He jumped and looked over towards where the voice had come from. “Bless you.”
He walked over to the bed, and the curtain moved the rest of the way back, and he saw Ashling laying there. She had tubes in her nose and another tube coming out of her arm which was hooked up to a bag. “Ash? What happed? I thought you just had a cold.” “Sit down. She doesn’t like it if you aren’t resting while you’re in here. It’s not just a cold; it’s a viral infection that’s settled in my lungs. The tubes in my nose are hooked up to oxygen to help me breath better. The one in my arm is an IV which is giving me medicine to help get rid of it. I need the medicine through an IV so it enters my system better. Why are you here? You seemed fine last night.”
“Allergies. I ran out of pills last night. My ahh..allehh…eh-chitschhhff…allergies are bad edough right dow ad we worked with laveder id potiods ad bugwort….ahh….ahh-shfff…ad helediub id herbology.”
“Sneezeweed. I know you’re allergic to that and lavender. Mugwort, too?”
“Yeah. I didn’t bake ihh-itschh…it through either class. I saw Badabe Pobfrey after Herbology sidve she wasd’t here this bordig. Heh-umpshh, hitschfff.”
“She was in London with me. I had to go there for this.”
“I’b allergic to bost allergy potiods ad the others dod’t work; that’s why I take buggle stuff. There was ode that helped be a little bit, ad she gave it to be, ad I’b allergic to it dow. Hipschh, hertschh, iksfff.”
“Bless you.” She handed him the box of tissues that was next to her bed since the ones he was holding were getting rather soggy. “Severus, why do you fight your sneezes back so much?”
“Thaks.” He blew his nose loudly. “They’re loud ad I don’t like people hearing me, I guess. I hate drawing attention to myself.”
“You don’t have to fight them around me. They’re not that bad. There’s plenty of people who sneeze just as loud.” She gave him a piercing look. “That’s not the only reason, Sev.”
“Do. I don’t really talk about it though.”
“Sev, we’re friends. You can tell me. It’s not going to change anything. You’re seeing me at my worst, after all. I promise I won’t judge you or laugh at you.”
He sniffled. “It’s just…I don’t kndow where to start.”
“Start at the beginning.”
He took a deep breath. “I’ve had allergies my whole life. No one else in my family does. I’m purebred; we’re an old purebred family. As a general rule, purebreds don’t really get sick that often. My family viewed allergies and illness as weak muggle things. So, imahh…ahshff…imagine whend sickly, pale, allergy-prode Severus cabe alog. Heh-chshh, hetsmfff.”
“Severus, don’t fight them. I’m the only one here, and I don’t mind, really, and it has to hurt sometimes.”
“I’ll try to rebeber. It’s habit dow. Andyway, allergies ad illness are dot seend as of your asthma as much as the fact that your step dad is a muggle and you were raised ind that world…Eh-CHISHH. My parents would either ridicule be because of by health or yell at be for sdeezig or dot being able to control by sdeezes. I’ve always had a large sneeze, and whend I’mb not on allergy pills or if I’mb sick, I sneeze a lot. Whedevehh…ehh-SHSHHH. Whedever I’d start sdeezig, by parets would shove pepper-up or ad allergy potiod dowd by throat. I’b allergic to a lot of thigs; differet polleds, dust, cats, sobe bolds, a lot of differet herbs, so there weren’t a lot of potiods I could take, ad the rehhh…eht-SHAHH…the repeated exposure either bade theb ideffective or I became allergic to theb. Eh-PSCHHH.”
“Severus, stop fighting them so much. I promise I won’t make fun of you. I don’t like sneezing around people either, but those sound like they need to come out.”
He blew his nose. “Why don’t you like it?”
“I don’t like showing weakness. This isn’t something I ever wanted you to see.” She gestured at the tubes. “You’re seeing me at my worst right now, so I’m in no place to judge.”
“Because of the way my parents treated me and made fund of my allergies, and because my sneezes were so loud and frequendt, I got really self conscious of theb ad embarrassed by themb….Hut-SHOO. Sorry.”
“Bless you. You don’t have to apologize.”
“Thaks. I leard to control themb. I cad sdeeze albost silently if I have to. It hurts ad bakes by doze rund bore, but I cand do it.”
“I’m sorry, Sev. Don’t feel embarrassed around me, okay. I won’t make you feel bad. Pinky-swear?” She held out her hand.
He blew his nose. “What?”
“It’s a muggle promise thing. We hook pinkies and shake and say pinky swear and then, it’s promised. I promise that I will never make you feel awkward for sneezing or tell anyone else what you told me, okay?”
“Okay.” He took her baby finger in his and swore.
“I’m sorry your parents made you feel bad for something you couldn’t help. I don’t care that you have allergies or a loud sneeze. It’s who you are.”
“Thaks, Ahh…Ashlig. Cad you had me ahhh…tissue.?” She pressed a tissue into his hand, and he pressed it to his nose. “Hah-SHHH, Hah-CHHT, Huh-CHOO, Ah-CHOO, Huh-HUTCHOO, Ah-HASHH, ECHOO, Hih-ISHOO, hit-ICHOO, ESHOO, heh-CHISHH, uh-huhh-CHUHH, ahh-ahhh-CHOO.” She handed him a few more tissues, and he blew his nose loudly, straightening up. Ashling reached over and brushed his hair from his face.
“Bless you.” she said, starting to cough. She took a long drink of water and leaned back. “It’s almost 11. Madame Pomfrey will be doing rounds soon, so you should get back to bed.”
“Okay. Thaks, Ashlig. I’ll help you catch up od what you bissed whed you’re better.” “Thanks, Sev. Now go back to bed before you get in trouble. You can visit me tomorrow if you want.”
“I’ll see you before I leave if you’re not sleeping.”
“She nodded. “Night, Severus.”
“Ah-SHOO. Dight, Ash.” He got some water and went back to his own bed. A few minutes later, Madame Pomfrey came in and handed him a sleeping potion. “Badabe Pobfrey, is Ashlig all right?”
“She’ll be fine. Magic can’t help her right now, but the muggle medicine will. She’s a very strong girl, Mister Snape. She’s been through worse and survived. Now get some sleep. I’ll have your pills tomorrow.” He drank the potion and drifted off to sleep.
**Back to present**
“That was the first time we ever really talked. I tried to see her the next morning, but Poppy said she’d had a rough night and was sleeping. I went the next day though. Hitchfff, ahschhh.”
“Severus, you don’t have to stifle them around me, either. I’m in no position to ridicule you, considerihhh…ihshoo, considering I sneeze all the time. Ehshoo. Excuse me. My pill’s starting to wear off. I understand how you feel though. But you don’t have to worry about it around me.”
Snape yawned hugely. “I’ll try. It’ll take some doing though; it’s habit by now.”
“That’s okay. It’s getting late. Would you like to see some of my memories now, or sleep and do more recollecting in the morning.”
“In the morning, if you don’t mind. I’d like some sleep. Hitschhh, hit-CHISHH. Heh-het-CHOO.”
“Bless you. Goodnight, then. You know where my room is if you need me.”
“I won’t. I cand take care of myself.” he snapped, then softened. “Goodnight, Lupin.”