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Lost and Found	By : TheLibrarian Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 3257 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all his friends (and enemies) are the brain-child of J.K.
Rowling. I�m just borrowing them. Exclusive ownership belongs to JKR, Arthur A.
Levine Books and Scholastic Inc. Jane Sinclair and all additional characters
belong to me. You belong to yourself.

---

I saw your face and heard you call my name

Oh my friend we're older but no wiser

For in our hearts the dreams are still the same

Those Were the Days,
Mary Hopkins

Chapter
Twenty � Healing, Part I

�where
Severus gets better and things look up�

He was so
thirsty. He needed�

�Water,� he
requested hoarsely.

The word was
barely more than a whisper, but Jane started awake. She was immediately by his
side and bent over him, examining his pale features. He looked so weak and
vulnerable � a far cry from the capable virile man she knew him to be. His eyes
were still closed, and for a moment, she thought that she�d imagined hearing
him.

�Severus?�
she asked uncertainly.

He swallowed
painfully, and gathered strength to speak again. �Water,� he croaked.

Jane reached
for the goblet sitting on the nightstand beside his bed and circled one finger
along its rim, just like one of the Healers had shown her. It immediately
filled with delicious cool water. She slipped an arm around Severus� shoulders
and held the goblet to his lips. He drank in greedy gulps until she had to pull
it out of his reach.

�Slowly,�
she cautioned him. Jane wasn�t sure whether he�d heard her, because his eyes
were still closed, but he nodded slightly.

It was
Heaven, he thought as the cool water trickled down his throat, soothing away
the pain, quenching his thirst.

�More,� he
whispered, and Jane complied.

Once more,
she held the goblet to his lips, and Severus drained it. As soon as it was
empty, it refilled with water. Eventually, he moved his head aside, indicating
that he was done, and sank back against the pillows, breathing heavily from the
exertion.

He felt a
cool hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. The hand lingered for a
moment, before moving to caress his cheek.

�Please, get
well soon.�

He knew
that touch. He knew that voice. Jane was here. His Jane.

�Jane?�

�Shhh,� she soothed. �I�m here. You�re safe.�

�Jane��

�Don�t talk
now, Severus,� she instructed him gently. �Conserve your strength. I�m not
going anywhere.�

He swallowed
and nodded drowsily. �Good.�

She stroked
his head again. �Rest, my love.�

He nodded again
and almost immediately fell into a fitful sleep. Jane sighed, picked up her
book and curled up in her armchair.

Some time during the night,
Severus suddenly started awake. He couldn�t remember what woke him, but it
didn�t matter now. He was done sleeping. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The soft
low light that greeted him hurt his eyes, still sensitive from the darkness
that had enveloped him for so long. He didn�t know where he was and looked
about him in confusion, once his eyes had adjusted. Turning his head slightly
on the pillow, he made out Jane�s sleeping form. The upper part of her body lay
draped over the side of his bed, her head resting on her crossed arms next to
his chest. Her presence was comforting. Severus recalled her voice guiding him through
his fever dreams to sanity. With quite some effort, he slowly raised his hand
and placed it gently on her head. He would rest easier now, knowing that he
wasn�t alone.

---

Jane started
awake to the sound of raised voices.

�No, I will not
take that infernal potion. Not until I know what�s in it.�

�Mr. Snape,�
a woman exclaimed, �must you be so difficult?�

�Severus?�

�Oh, thank
God,� the flustered Healer breathed. �Please, Miss Sinclair, talk some sense
into him. He must take this Strengthening Potion.�

Jane bent
over Severus and searched his face. His dark eyes were glittering
with suppressed anger, and she had to smile. His voice was still hoarse, but he
was back to his old self, she realized happily. She sat on the bed beside him
and grasped one of his hands.

�Severus,�
she told him gently. �You have been very ill, and now you need to build up your
strength. Please take the potion.�

�Fine,� he
grumbled ungraciously.

The Healer
quickly poured the steaming liquid into him and retreated hastily from the
room.

�The woman
is a menace,� Severus said, when the door had closed behind her.

�She just
wants you to get better��

He snorted.

�We all do,�
Jane assured him and brushed his hair out of his face. �How are you feeling?�

He moved to
prop himself up and winced. His entire body was still painfully sore,
especially when he moved. He grimaced.

�I�m not
dead,� he said wryly. �That should count for something, I guess.�

Severus
noted the pained expression on Jane�s face. �What is it?�

Jane shook
her head and presented him with a brilliant smile. �Nothing,� she lied through
her teeth. There was no reason to upset him � yet.

�So�� She
quickly changed the subject. �How do you like your private room? St. Mungo�s doesn�t provide them to just anyone, you know��

�It�s�
adequate,� Severus offered disinterestedly. Jane wasn�t telling him something
important, he realized, and he was determined to find out what she was hiding
from him.

�How long
have I been here?� he finally asked.

Jane quickly
calculated. �Five days. This is your sixth��

�And you�ve
been here with me the entire time?� he asked carefully.

�Yes,� she
told him gently, stroking his hand.

A muscle in
his face twitched. �Why?�

Her eyes
widened. �Why?� she echoed incredulously. �Do you even have to ask?�

�I was
simply wondering,� he told her indifferently.

�Don�t start
all this nonsense again, Severus,� she warned him. �You know I love you. Is it
so difficult to grasp that I want to be with you? Take care of you?�

Severus
studied her for a long moment.

�What
happened?� he asked her softly.

Jane�s eyes
widened. She didn�t want to tell him. Not, yet. �Don�t you remember?�

�I remember
finding you, and then � nothing.� Severus frowned. �Just
darkness and pain.�

�Oh,
Severus�� Jane�s eyes suddenly began to well up, and she quickly averted her
gaze, but his sharp eyes already had noticed the tears.

�Jane, what
is it?� he asked her worriedly. He hated the fact that he�d made her cry, yet,
again.

Jane
examined their entwined fingers on the crisp white hospital covers, looking for
the right words. She took a deep breath.

�Voldemort killed you,� she finally told him.

Severus
glowered at her darkly. �What do you mean,� he asked her in a dangerously low
voice, �he killed me?�

�Now,
Severus, please don�t get upset.� Jane tried to soothe him. �He was about to
kill me, and you challenged him� You dueled with him most magnificently,� she
added proudly.

He stared at
her, unbelieving. �The Dark Lord killed me?�

Jane nodded
silently.

Severus
withdrew his hand from hers and hugged himself. �How?� he asked quietly.

�You
stumbled,� she told him brokenly, �and he used the Killing Curse��

He squeezed
his eyes shut, attempting to come to terms with what he�d just heard. Jane
watched the play of emotions on his face, and she longed to hug and comfort
him, but his crossed arms were not inviting intimacy.

�Why, then,�
he suddenly demanded, �am I still alive?�

�Well, I,�
Jane began, �I� I brought you back.�

�You did?�
he asked incredulously. �How?�

She reached
for his hand again and told him everything. When she had finished, Jane watched
his face expectantly, but he did not look at her. Severus stared quietly off
into the distance and didn�t say a word for a very long time.

---

�What do you mean, he
doesn�t want any visitors?�

Molly Weasley�s
sharp voice penetrated through the door. Jane cringed and threw a worried
glance towards Severus. He was asleep again, and she didn�t want him to wake
and exert himself. Apparently, however, he hadn�t heard Molly.

�Of course, he�ll see us!�

The door opened suddenly,
and Molly came marching in, followed by her husband and gaggle of offspring.
Hermione Granger was also with them. Remus was the only one missing. Jane
sighed and smiled in welcome.

�Doesn�t want any visitors,
indeed,� Molly scoffed disgustedly. Then her expression softened.

�Oh, hello, Jane,� she
greeted the younger witch sitting with Severus. �How are you, dear?�

�Alright,� Jane offered,
already feeling overwhelmed by the mob of people squeezed into the tiny room.

�And
Severus?� Arthur Weasley studied the man on
the bed. �We, uh, heard that he finally woke��

�Yes.� Jane nodded happily.
�He�s resting now, though. Maybe, if you all came back later?�

Fred and George nodded
vigorously and quickly disappeared through the door.

�Just where do they think
they�re going?� Molly exclaimed loudly and Jane cringed again.

Ron shrugged. �Dunno,� he offered. �Maybe the tea room?�

�Excellent idea,� Arthur
enthused and began to herd the remaining Weasley clan
out the door. �Come on, you lot. I feel somewhat peaked myself.�

Molly shot him a curious
glance, but then nodded in agreement. �Yes,� she told them. �Go on, then.
Meanwhile, I�ll visit with Jane for a bit.�

Ron and Hermione were the
last to leave.

�Thank God,� Ron whispered
loudly. �I still don�t understand why Mum made us visit him. It�s not like
anyone really cares��

�Ronald Weasley,�
his mother screeched, placing her fists on her hips. �Explain yourself this
instant!�

Jane shot another worried
glance at Severus. His face was scrunched up unhappily, but his eyes were still
closed.

�Well, it�s true,� Ron
defended himself half-heartedly. �Nobody would miss
him, if he croaked.�

Molly stared at her son in
disbelief, and Jane�s eyes narrowed. Hermione tugged urgently at his sleeve,
begging him to be quiet. She�d noticed Jane�s expression change and realized
that Ron was on very thin ice. However, he didn�t heed her warning.

�Why is he alive,
when Harry and Tonks aren�t?� he asked her
self-righteously. �It�s not fair! He doesn�t deserve to live when so many other
good wizards are dead,� he cried angrily, voicing his grief the only way
he knew how.

Hermione�s hands flew to her
mouth, and her eyes widened in shock. �Ron!� she exclaimed, scandalized.

For once in her life, Molly
was speechless. Before she could find a fitting response to her son�s
thoughtless words, Jane had risen from the bed and drawn herself to her full
height of five feet three inches.

�How dare you?� she
asked the boy coldly.

Ron noticed anger blazing in
her eyes, the ice in her voice, and finally realized he�d gone too far. His
face turned a furious red and he tugged uncomfortably at his collar, suddenly
unable to breathe. �Erm��

�How dare you say that?�
Jane asked again. �Don�t you know what Severus has done for all of us? For the entire Wizarding world?
How dare you pass judgment on this man, after all that he has done for you? Had
it not been for him, your precious Harry would not have been able to
overcome Voldemort! He sacrificed himself for all of
you. He gave his life for you! The least you can do is to show him some respect.�

Ron was staring at his feet,
properly chagrined. Hermione also looked rather embarrassed.

�He didn�t mean it,� she
mumbled apologetically.

�Really?�
Jane asked scathingly. She was seething with anger now.

�Yes, well,� Molly quickly
jumped in, still mortified at her son�s insensitivity. �Jane, dear, maybe it�s
better if I visit with you another time.� She looked pointedly at Ron. �Alone.�

�Yes,� Jane agreed coolly. �It
might be better.�

�Please give Severus our
best.�

�I will.�

�Well, then.� Molly looked
about her, unsure how to make a dignified exit. �I� erm,
I guess we�ll go then.�

She herded Ron and Hermione
out of the room and closed the door behind them. Staring after them, Jane
breathed a sigh of relief and fought to get her feelings under control.

�Are they gone?�

Jane swirled around.
�Severus, you�re awake,� she noted unnecessarily.

He slowly opened his eyes,
and his lips curled wryly. �Molly�s voice can raise the dead��

�Don�t joke,� Jane
admonished him.

�You can�t blame young Weasley, you know,� Severus told her. �He and Potter were
joined by the hip for seven years��

�I know he�s grieving,� Jane
admitted. �I also know of your history with them. But that�s still no excuse
for the cruel things he said about you.�

Severus held out his hand,
and Jane rushed to his side. �They�ve thought, and said, much worse about me
over the years, Jane,� he explained quietly. �I�m used to it.�

�Well, I�m not,� she told
him decidedly. �I won�t have Ron Weasley, or anyone
else for that matter, speak ill of you.�

He smiled. �You are
determined to protect me at all cost, aren�t you?�

�Of course, I am!� She
looked at him tenderly. �I promised, didn�t I?�

Severus raised her hand to his
lips and kissed it. �Thank you.�

Jane�s eyes widened. �For what?�

�For everything,� he told
her simply. �For bringing me back. For believing in me.
For defending me. For� loving me.�

She leaned forward and
kissed him gently on the mouth. �You�re welcome,� she whispered against his
lips.

Severus brought his other
arm around her and drew her down onto the bed. Jane readily snuggled against
him and hugged him tightly. He sighed contently.

�It seems an eternity since
I�ve held you in my arms,� he told her.

�I missed you, too.�

For a while, they lay in
comfortable silence.

�I� I�m sorry,� he finally
said.

Jane lifted her head to look
at him. �For what?�

�For all those nasty things
I said to you � before. I didn�t mean any of it.�

She squeezed him gently,
careful not to hurt his sore body. �I know.�

Her simple acceptance
touched him. Unlike him, Jane held no grudges. She was warm and generous,
gentle and loving. He still couldn�t believe that she chose to love him.
He was very lucky. Very lucky, indeed. Savoring the
feel of Jane�s body draped over his, he contently closed his eyes. Gradually,
his breathing slowed and lulled Jane to sleep as the excitement of the day
caught up with her.

---

She was
late for the ball. Picking up her dress, she hurried along the corridor leading
to the Great Hall. Severus would be furious. She knew how much he valued
punctuality. He took tardiness very personally. A mischievous smile spread over
her face. It would be fun to see how he chose to punish her. At the worst, he would
ignore her for the rest of the evening. At best, he would subject her to a very
passionate night. With that pleasurable thought, she had reached the Great Hall
and, taking a deep breath, quickly smoothed her dress.

He was
watching her from across the room. She could feel his brooding stare, even
before she saw him. It caused the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up
on end and made her skin tingle. Donning an inviting smile, she turned to face
him, but what she saw caught her by surprise. Gone was the aloof and
untouchable Severus Snape. In his stead was a man of flesh and blood whose dark
eyes burned with such desire that sent jolts of icy heat through her body. His
eyes raked over her with unconcealed hunger, and she smiled confidently. She
had intentionally worn her midnight-blue dress, recalling the effect it had had
on him one year ago. Severus� reaction this evening told her that she had
chosen correctly. She met his smoldering gaze and knew immediately that he
would not ignore her tonight.

�Jane.�
Remus appeared by her side. �You look stunning,� he told her truthfully.

�Remus!�
she exclaimed and hugged him. �I did not expect you.�

Remus
stepped back and smiled sheepishly. �Yes, well,� he explained. �I had a meeting
with Minerva, and she invited me to stay. She� well, she thought I could do
with some socializing.�

�I�m glad
you came.�

�Will you
save me a dance?�

�What?�
She looked at him, confused. �Of course, I�ll dance with you. Why do you even
ask?�

Remus
nodded towards someone behind her. She followed his gaze, and her eyes beheld
Severus, standing at the edge of the dance floor, watching them intently. She
smiled.

�Don�t
worry about Severus,� she told him gently. �I�ve explained our friendship to
him. He now knows better than to make a scene.�

Remus
smiled. �He looks rather jealous��

She
sneaked another peek at Severus, who looked rather displeased. In fact, he was
positively glowering now.

�I don�t
believe it!�

�Would
you care to place a bet on that?� Remus offered her his arm, winking roguishly.

�He
promised!�

�Then you
should have nothing to worry about.�

�Exactly,�
she told him primly, accepting his offer and challenge. �Let�s dance.�

Remus led
her out onto the dance floor and pulled her into his arms. They had completed
one circle round the room, when a dark figure stepped into their path.

�May I
cut in?� Severus drawled arrogantly. �You don�t mind, Lupin,
do you?�

He never
looked at his old schoolmate. He only had eyes for her.

�Not at
all, Severus,� Remus replied, grinning smugly.

Severus
reached for her in a sweeping gesture and drew her possessively to his side. He
took her in his arms and stared into her eyes.

�When
will you understand,� he asked her tersely, �that you belong to me?�

In her
sleep, Jane smiled happily and snuggled closer against Severus, who was having
dreams of his own.

He stood
over the unconscious wizard he�d been battling. Arthur Weasley
nodded gratefully and quickly performed several binding spells on the Death
Eaters lying at their feet. Turning around, he realized that Jane had gone. He
cursed and went in search of her.

He made
his way downstairs into the thick of battle. The air, thick with smoke and
dust, was filled with the shouts of the combatants and the screams of the
dying. He stepped over dead bodies, his dark eyes scanning the crowd for Jane.
Suddenly, he saw her. The Dark Lord had just thrown her off her feet and was
approaching her, his wand at the ready. Fear like he�d never known before,
painfully squeezed his heart, and Severus fought his way through the mob. He
caught a glimpse of Voldemort pointing his wand at
Jane, who immediately began to writhe and contort as the Cruciatus
Curse hit her.

He cursed
again and forged forward. Several Death Eaters stepped in his way, and he
quickly disposed of them. He reached them, just as the Dark Lord was bearing
down on Jane, who was staring up at him, her face contorted with pain.

�Now, it
is my turn, Miss Sinclair,� Voldemort said. �Now, you
die.�

�NO!�

He surged
forward, only one thought in his mind � to shield her from the Dark Lord.

�Severus,�
Voldemort acknowledged him calmly and aimed his wand
at him. �So, this is how it will end? Over a woman?�

He merely
shrugged. �We cannot choose our destiny.�

�Destiny��
Voldemort slowly shook his head, something akin to
regret in his eyes. �There are much worthier causes to die for, Severus��

�There
are certain things I regret, Voldemort, but this is
not one of them.�

The Dark
Lord smiled maliciously. �I�m glad to hear it.�

Before he
could guess his intent, Voldemort pointed his wand at
Jane. �Avada Kedavra!�

�NO!�

Severus surged upright,
panting heavily, the image of Jane�s lifeless body etched into his mind. Beside
him, Jane mumbled something and stretched, but didn�t wake up. Ignoring the
shooting pain in his body, he twisted onto his side and watched her sleep. A
happy smile was gracing her face.

He frowned.

===

Lost and
Found � 2006 by MMHG

===
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