NOTES: My apologies to anyone who has been awaiting an update on "Already Missing You," or "The Longest Day." I seem to have lost the thread on both stories and any updates will be a long time coming. As a matter of fact, I've lacked the motivation to write much at all lately, except to participate in HealerPomfrey's monthly writing challenges.

This story is my response to the March challenge which was to take place during PofA, with Professor Lupin falling ill and one or more of his colleagues needing to care for him. In addition, the following expressions had to be used: "imbecile," "strawberry ice cream," "elastic band," "sunglasses," "the Founders," "map," "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," "rubber chicken," and "thunderstorm." The following expressions could not be used: "Full moon," "Wolfsbane," and "wand." Severus isn't the one who is ill in this story, so it was a stretch for me.

If you have time to leave a review, I would appreciate it. Please keep in mind that there are several of us who participate in these monthly challenges, so any similarities you notice in our stories are completely intentional and unavoidable.

---

He was ignoring it. The persistent knocking at his study door was growing louder and more emphatic, but he knew the wards were strong enough to keep her out. He bent lower over the pile of student essays he was attempting to mark. She would leave eventually.

"Severus, I know you're in there."

He glanced up from his desk and threw his quill aside with an irritated sigh. It was amazing how her strident voice could carry through even a thick wooden door. Earlier, she and Pomona thought they were being so subtle and clever, carrying on a overly-loud conversation for his benefit as he was leaving the Great Hall. He knew what they were expecting of him, but damned if he was going to roll over and accede to their wishes. Was it his fault if the imbecile hadn't taken the proper precautions after his transformation?.

He crossed the room in three quick strides, dropped the ward and threw open the door. Minerva flinched at the resounding crash of wood meeting stone, but recovered herself quickly.

"Severus," she said, disapproval evident in her voice. "It will be evening soon."

"Thank you, Minerva. Had I known you were going to provide a timekeeping service, I wouldn't have bothered winding my clock this morning."

"This is serious," she said, crossing her arms and looking past him into the room. "Remus hasn't been seen since this morning when he was heading toward the Forbidden Forest."

"And you think perhaps I'm hiding him away in here?"

Minerva scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. You know as well as I that he could be in danger if he's in a weakened condition."

"He is also a responsible adult." Severus turned from her and walked back to his desk, gathering the pile of parchment into a neat stack. "Or an adult, at least. He doesn't need a caretaker." Lupin was not his concern and for all they knew, he had gone to meet up with Sirius Black. He wasn't going to get involved.

Minerva had followed him into the office and he could feel her eyes on him as he tucked away the essays and straightened his desk. "Severus," she said finally after several moments of tense silence. He sank into his desk chair and closed his eyes, propping his head into one hand. He could hear her voice shake slightly as she continued. "I'm worried that Remus may be ill. He looked dreadful when he left and he may have withdrawn into the forest as an instinctual reaction. Someone needs to find him and bring him back."

"'Someone,' meaning me." he huffed. "Why didn't someone stop him this morning? Why is it now my responsibility to go after him?" He slammed the flats of both hands on the desktop and pushed himself away.

"It wouldn't have to be you, in particular," Minerva said, "Except the rest of us are attending Albus' lecture at the Ministry dinner tonight, and, if you recall, you graciously agreed to remain behind."

Was that tonight? It had completely slipped his mind up until this very minute. "Oh, yes," he said bitterly, retrieving his cloak from where he had tossed it across a chair earlier. "'The Founders and How to Apply Their Wisdom to Your Life,'" or some such drivel as that, wasn't it?"

"Something like that," Minerva said, trying to suppress a smile. "So you're going after him?"

"Yes, but don't think for a moment it's due to your powers of persuasion," he said, shrugging into his cloak. "Anything is preferable to sitting through a rubber chicken dinner and a stultifying lecture with Albus twinkling at everyone."

The smile quickly faded from Minerva's face. "Pardon me," she said, when she had recovered herself. "But did you say 'rubber chicken?' What on earth are you talking about?"

"Never mind," he said, motioning her toward the door. There was no need to tell her it was just an old Muggle expression. Let her puzzle over it for a while.

Minerva stood nearby as he closed and warded his study door. "You will be gentle with him, won't you?" she asked quietly.

He whirled on her. "I would think," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "that you'd be more concerned about what he could potentially do to me."

"You can take care of yourself, Severus." she said. "Remus is different."

"Yes, you've always labored under that particular misconception, haven't you?"

He noticed that Minerva at least had the good grace to look slightly guilty, even if she had no response.

They walked silently together until they reached the staircase leading to the entrance hall. Minerva patted him on the arm as they prepared to part ways. "Do be careful, Severus." she said.

He nodded. "What am I to do with Lupin if I find him?" he asked, pausing with one hand on the banister. cloak. "Tuck him into bed, perhaps? Pat his head and read to him from 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard?'"

"Just bring him to the hospital wing, and try not to be too much of an arse about it. Poppy will take it from there."

---

After the violent thunderstorm of the previous night, the air seemed washed clean and renewed. Severus wished he could say the same for himself, but his nerves felt like an elastic band stretched to its limit. As he set off toward the Forbidden Forest, the late afternoon sunshine was unrelenting and uncomfortably bright for someone accustomed to the darkness of the dungeons. For one irrational moment, he wished for a pair of Muggle sunglasses, not only to shield his eyes from the light but to mask the fear he was unable to control in Lupin's presence.

After a few minutes of brisk walking, Severus approached the edge of the forest, where the temperature had seemed to drop a few degrees, and paused to think. If what Minerva had said was true, and Lupin was injured or ill, he may have been seeking a private location in the forest, something similar to a den. Lupin knew the forest nearly as well as he did, and there were innumerable caves and hollows where he could have secreted himself. Where to begin? Would he have stayed on the path or ducked into the dense undergrowth? He looked around carefully, turning in a circle and trying to find any indication that the brush and scrub had been disturbed, but there was no indication that anyone had walked through recently.

The deeper Severus penetrated into the forest, the darker it grew. All noises had ceased, and the crunch and snap of twigs under his feet seemed all the more noisy. He was forced to resist his natural inclination to walk quietly. He had no desire to surprise Lupin, not if he hadn't sufficiently recovered from his transformation; better if he had some warning.

As Severus rounded a corner of the narrowing path, his eyes were drawn to a hillock formed by the roots of a towering, ancient elm tree. If there were a hollow underneath, perhaps on the other side of the path, it seemed a likely hiding spot, hidden away as it was with a small spring bubbling nearby.

"Lupin, if you are out here, show yourself." His voice sounded unnaturally loud in the absolute silence of the forest. When there was no reply, Severus walked towards the elm and froze in his tracks at the sound of a low growl nearby, fighting down the urge to bolt.

"What do you want?" Lupin's voice was harsh and hoarse.

Severus clambered up one edge of the hillock and made his way carefully down the front slope, edging along the rim of the hollow. He crouched near the entrance and peered into the darkness. As his eyes adjusted, he saw Lupin sitting with his back pressed up against the far wall. He looked very much the worse for wear, from what Severus could make out.

Lupin had his legs drawn up with his arms wrapped tightly around them. His head was propped on his knees, his face was flushed and he was breathing heavily through his mouth. The expression on his face as he watched Severus was wary and suspicious. Against his better judgment, he crawled deeper into the hollow. It was foolish, putting himself directly between Lupin and the only means of escape, but he sensed no threat at the moment.

Severus sat near Lupin, and reached out his hand, taking one thin wrist between his thumb and forefinger. He felt Lupin twitch slightly at his touch, but he did not attempt to pull away. Lupin's breathing was ragged and labored, and his pulse was rapid but strong. He was in no immediate danger, except for the dangerous level of self-pity he seemed to be indulging in at the moment. Severus dropped his wrist and pressed the back of his hand to Lupin's cheek.

"What are you doing?" Lupin growled, twitching his head away violently from his touch.

"I'm checking to see if you have a fever," Severus said calmly. "Which you do."

"I'm not ill," Lupin said, even as a shiver shook his body and he coughed miserably. "Leave me alone, why don't you?"

"I would like nothing better," Severus said, settling himself more comfortably. "Unfortunately, Minerva insisted I find you and bring you back to the castle tonight. And even if you are willing to risk her displeasure, I am not."

Lupin smiled weakly at this, but his smile changed quickly to a grimace. "I won't go back. Poppy will want me to stay in the infirmary and I'll..." He broke off, twisting his hands together nervously, looking bleakly at Snape before dropping his eyes to the ground again. "All that unrelenting white," he whispered, "And Poppy's cheerful bustling. I can't stand to be confined right now; I'll go mad."

Severus felt a brief flicker of sympathy. He preferred to keep to his dungeons for those very reasons. "Don't be a fool, Lupin. You cannot pass the night in the forest; not in your condition."

"It's better that I do," he insisted, his voice growing weaker as he continued to talk. "I'd rather be out here than in the castle where I could inadvertently harm someone."

Severus felt his heart hammer hard in his chest, but he kept his voice unconcerned. "Is there a true risk or are you being overly dramatic?"

Lupin passed a shaking hand over his eyes. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I don't feel like myself. As if I didn't completely recover from the last transformation."

"Then you should come back with me where we can monitor your condition. A sedative may be helpful."

"I don't want any of that," Lupin said, shaking his head. "I like the dark and the quiet out here. It keeps me calm."

Severus was relieved to hear that Lupin was at least thinking rationally, even if he was feeling a bit out of control. "There is an unused classroom in the dungeons," Severus said hesitantly, not quite believing what he was saying even as he said it. "It's also dark and quiet there; very much like this hollow. You can rest there until you've recovered."

---

Severus arranged a pile of blankets and pillows on the sleeping mat in one corner of the unused classroom. Lupin had refused a bed, wanting to lie as close to the ground as he could. He also insisted on being up against a wall, saying he wanted a surface to press against, something solid with which to anchor himself. The high windows would not allow in any light and the only source of illumination was a single candle that guttered and wavered in a cool draft. This was as close to a cave as anything could be.

"You'll be warm enough there, I dare say," Severus said as he straightened, turning to face Lupin who was pacing restlessly around the edges of the room. Lupin nodded his approval and sank gratefully into the middle of the pile, burrowing deeply and pulling one of the covers up around his head.

"You're very kind, Severus." he said finally after he had made himself comfortable. "I feel absolutely horrible after all the trouble you go to every month on my behalf...and then that regrettable business with the map." Even in the dim light, Severus could see an ugly, red flush creep up Lupin's neck as he spoke.

"That was the parchment you took off Potter? A map?" He could feel anger rising as he realized Lupin had deliberately lied to him.

"It's not what you think," he insisted, raising himself from the mat on both elbows. "It was just for a laugh."

"I've been on the receiving end of your twisted idea of humor before, Lupin," Severus said, deeply regretting that he had ever gone out to look for him.

"You must believe me," Lupin said, his eyes large and pleading. "I have no idea how Harry came by it and the map has been hidden away where no one can use it. I'm..." He tried to continue, but his words were cut short as he began coughing harshly.

Severus moved as far away as he could and snapped, "Would you lie back down before you make yourself worse? Minerva would never let me hear the end of it."

Lupin collapsed back to the pile of blankets, shivering and moaning low in his throat. Severus regarded him impassively for a moment. There would be time later to deal with the mysterious map; right now Lupin was obviously ill and needed looking after. Although it went against his better instincts, the words were out of his mouth before Severus could stop himself. "Can I...get you anything?"

"Are you serious?" Lupin whispered hoarsely. He closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting into a small, sad smile. "I'd like some strawberry ice cream," he said, almost to himself.

"Did you say 'strawberry ice cream?'" Although the request was unusual, a craving for something sweet was very human and another positive indicator that Lupin still had his wits about him.

"I'm sorry. It's very silly," Lupin said, sounding embarrassed. "But that's what my mother always brought me whenever I was ill as a child..."

Severus' thoughts drifted back to his own childhood. Whenever he was ill, he usually received a cuff upside the head for being a nuisance.

"I can have the house elves bring you some, if you'd like."

"They won't come near me, I'm afraid," Lupin said, waving a hand dismissively. "Never mind. It's not important."

"I'll mention it to Poppy when I see her," he said. At Lupin's slightly panicked look, he sighed. "I have to let her know you're back."

"No need, Severus," came a soft voice from the front of the room, where the candlelight's glow did not quite reach. "We're here."

He was relieved to see Madam Pomfrey and Minerva making their way through the room towards them. Poppy knelt near Lupin and ran a quick diagnostic scan while Minerva pulled Severus to one side, speaking fiercely but keeping her voice low.

"Why is Remus down here instead of in the infirmary? What on earth were you thinking?"

"I was thinking," he said, pulling away from her. "That you asked me to look after him."

"Yes, I did!" she said, her voice growing louder. "And I assumed you would make him comfortable, not force him to lie on a pile of rags in a mouldering corner of the dungeon! The man is ill, Severus."

He closed his eyes, not trusting himself to speak for a moment. "He is not lying on a pile of rags, Minerva," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm. "And I'll have you know, even though I shouldn't have to explain myself, that Lupin specifically requested a cool, dark place to rest."

Poppy finished her diagnostic spell and joined the two professors who had stopped debating and were instead glaring at each other silently. "He has a viral infection of some sort, but nothing serious," she said soothingly. "He's quite comfortable where he is, so I see no need to move him to the infirmary unless his condition worsens." Minerva looked appeased and Severus had to bite back the words, 'I told you so.'

"I'm sorry, Severus," Minerva said finally. "And I do appreciate your help in bringing him back. Was he very much trouble?"

"He was easy enough to find," he said. "And it was just as you had thought, Minerva. Something happened after his transformation this time. Perhaps the virus made the potion less effective, but the feral effects are lingering. He withdrew to the forest because he feared harming anyone in his state."

Poppy's eyes went to where Lupin lay unmoving, his breathing deep and even as he drifted off. "And is he any danger?" she asked. To her credit, Poppy seemed to be the only member of the staff who understood, or cared, what Lupin might be capable of.

"If I thought so, he wouldn't be here."

The three stood watching Lupin sleep. It was dark and cool and peaceful in the room and Severus began to realize how very tired he was beginning to feel. There was only one other matter to deal with before he could retire to his quarters. "He would like some strawberry ice cream," he said quietly.

Minerva's mouth dropped open slightly as she turned to look at him. "What did you say?"

"Unless you honestly did not hear me," Severus said, his voice weary, "I'd rather not repeat myself. It's been a long evening."

"I'll bring him a dish later, along with his potions," Poppy said. "In the meantime, Severus, you have the distinct appearance of a man who could use a stiff drink in a nice, comfortable chair."

"Yes," he said, his swift acquiescence surprising even himself. "I believe I could."

"Come with me, then," Poppy said, taking his arm. "You've done quite enough for one day. Minerva can see to Remus while I take care of you."

As they turned to leave, Minerva called after them. "By the by, they did not serve rubber chicken at that dinner."

"No?"

"No, as a matter of fact, it was a rather pallid and stringy piece of beef. I have no idea where you got the notion of rubber chicken, for heaven's sake."

"My mistake. Good night, Minerva," he said as heard Poppy chuckle next to him.