The Hospital Wing

Chapter 3--News

"Kylie, what's up with you today? You haven't been paying attention and I've been saying your name for like, ten minutes!" Kylie's friend, Angie, whispered in her ear.

Kylie snapped back to reality.

"What were you thinking about 'Lie?" the brunette asked, referring to Kylie by her nickname.

"Oh, um, just thinking about, er, how you and James would look together," Kylie lied. Angie had had a crush on the older James Potter for a few weeks now. She knew that nothing would happen, but it was a quick way around the truth. Truthfully she had been pondering about Severus. Actually, her thoughts had been on him ever since the night under the willow tree. They had stayed for an hour or so more until Severus realized that it was past curfew and they hurried back to their separate dorms.

"Liar," Angie hissed, smiling slightly before responding a question about Transfiguring an animal into one of another species.

Severus ignored the discussion around him. His eyes were focused on a certain Gryffindor whose pancakes lay forgotten as she laughed with a couple of her friends. For a brief moment she looked over and there eyes locked. She flashed him a smile before returning to her friends.

A great rushing of wings had announced that the days post had arrived. A particular dark brown owl caught Severus' attention. It carried two identical letters. It dropped the first among a dense group of seventh year Gryffindors, of whom Severus despised each and every one of them, and the other in front of Kylie, directly onto her untouched eggs.

The young girl looked surprised, but cheered when she saw it was for her. Kylie's eyes flew across the page, it was obviously a short letter. Her pretty face fell immediately. Kylie gathered her things and ran out of the Great Hall. Her eyes had lost their twinkle that Severus knew so well. Remus soon ran after her, and a little voice in his head told Severus to wait.

"Ky?" Severus asked gently after Ms. Lupin's brother had left her under the willow tree an hour later. "What's up?"

Kylie turned her back to him. "Leave me alone Severus. You don't need to see me like this," she mumbled, hugging her knees. Her voice was choked and it was apparent that she had been crying, something unheard of to her.

"Of course I do. Tell me what's wrong Ky." He sat down next to the girl and saw a tear slide down from her reddened eyes. Softly Severus gathered her in his arms. "Tell me."

"Oh it's horrible," she burst out. "You know all those attacks that have *hic* been happening?" Severus nodded his head slowly. "Well my parents they...they..." Then she wept again and buried her face into the young mans shoulder.

"Shh Ky. Don't worry. Everything will be ok." He whispered, though unsure of his words. Nothing like this had ever happened to him. He didn't know what else to say.

"I miss them all ready, Sev, how can he do this to us?" she whispered, her voice muffled by his robes. She looked imploringly to his face, and Severus was filled with pity, something he had never known before.

"I don't know, Ky, I don't know." He held his friend closer and lay down, her head on his chest. Within an hour the tears stopped and the young Gryffindor was asleep, followed soon by the Slytherin.

Three hours later Kylie woke up to a grumbling stomach. 'I need food' was the first thing that shot through her head, followed quickly by her wonder at the fact that she had fallen asleep in the protective arms of Severus Snape. She cuddled up a little in his strong arms before realizing why she was there in the first place.

Kylie sat up quickly and hugged her knees, all thoughts of lunch forgotten. "Ky? You up?" Severus said groggily, having fallen asleep after she.

A single tear rolled down her now blotched face. "Oh, Ky. You'll get through this. It might be hard, but you'll get through it. I'll help you. You know I'll always be here for you Ky," he whispered, wiping away the tear with a long pale finger, trying to remember the feel of her skin.

"Thanks Sev. Thank you so much," she whispered quietly. She wrapped her arms around him and the two stayed that way for some time.

"You know, you're the only one that calls me Ky," she whispered, looking sheepishly into Severus' dark eyes. Kylie smiled weakly, the first smile since the letter came that morning.

"You're the only one who gets away with calling me Sev." And it was true, he would have creamed someone for calling him that. But between you and I, I think he likes it. And I suppose he's glad to get off the subject of Kylie's parents...

There was a moment of silence until a grumbling coming from the regions of Severus' stomach interrupted the quietness. Kylie muttered something and some sandwiches appeared between them. "Hungry?" Severus chuckled and dug in.