Harry and Ginny had just settled on their couch when, out of the blue, a patronus in the shape of a lioness appeared and spoke to them with Hermione's voice.

"Hello, Harry, Ginny. Severus and I just got home. This whole ordeal with his childhood memories returning had him quite shook and I had to give him a calming draught to get him to settle down at least a bit. He's now asleep on my couch. He will gladly accept any help you can offer. Please visit my place when you've got time. Until then, Hermione."

That was what the lioness told the two of them. They took a look at each other and instantly stood up.

"Come Gin, don't you think it is time to get to know the new Severus and help him?" said the young man with emerald green eyes he inherited from his long-deceased mother.

"You know, Harry. I wanted to say exactly the same thing."

Ginny grinned up at her fiancée while they put on their coats and boots. As both of them were finished with that, Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and apparated both of them to Hermione's small London flat.

The young brown-haired witch was quite shocked, to say the least when she saw her best friends standing there in her parlour.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked once the first shock had subsided.

"We're here to help you with Severus of course!" exclaimed Ginny excitedly.

"If this whole ordeal did have such an impact on him we'd be damned if we would leave you hanging. Where is he?" added Harry.

"Thanks, you two. You don't know how much that means to me, honestly. He's asleep on the couch. I had to give him three vials of calming draught to get him to settle down a bit and not shake uncontrollably all the time. He should be out of it for a little while more," was what she told the two of them whilst leading them into her living room.

With a flick of her wand, one of her armchairs became a comfortable looking couch and Hermione left to go into her kitchen to brew some tea for them. While the water still had to boil she quickly went to her bedroom and made it so that Harry and Ginny could sleep there.

After five minutes she returns to them and finds them looking at a lightly snoring Severus.

"I still can't believe that this is the man who saved and belittled and insulted us all those years. He really is different. His other self would have never let his guard down that much," spoke Ginny in a quiet and soft voice just so that the sleeping man would not wake up. Hermione set the teacups down in front of them and took a seat.

"Yes. I just hope he won't put his cold mask of indifference back on once he has his memories back," sighed Harry, taking a sip of his still steaming hot tea.

"Trust me, he won't. After those memories returned today, he showed more emotions in a matter of seconds than all years back then combined. He won't be able to. And even if he succeeds in doing so — he will have to face me and I will certainly not rest until he put it down again," said Hermione with a smirk pulling at her mouth.

Harry and Ginny couldn't help themselves and started to laugh.

"Harry, it is getting late. We should go home and leave the two of them alone and let them get some well-needed rest before facing operation "get Severus a wand" tomorrow morning."

"My bedroom is vacant today, if you want to stay you are welcome to do so. It would be easier tomorrow morning. I will stay here and watch him a bit just in case. You never know how potent that potion still was. I brewed it when we were on the run in the forest four years ago."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other before Harry shrugged and said "Only if it is not inconvenient."

"Certainly not, and now to bed with you," laughed the young brown-haired and ushered them into her bedroom.

Since when do I behave like Molly Weasley?

Hermione quietly transformed her clothes into some comfy night clothes and conjured a pillow and a duvet for her before laying down on the second couch. Only shortly thereafter she fell asleep.

A couple of hours later she woke up because of some movement on the couch next to hers. She was wide awake that instant and looked concerned at a still sleeping Severus who began thrashing around in his sleep as if he were having terrible nightmares. Cautiously she stood up and sat down on the armrest next to his head. She laid a hand on his shoulder in what was supposed to be a calming manner. For a moment she thought that he was settling down again, but then he started to mumble in his sleep.

"No, let her be. She didn't do anything. Just let her go. Please."

He whimpered as tears started to fall down his cheeks. Slowly and cautiously Hermione wrapped the once dour man in her arms in hopes to get him to sleep as peaceful as before again. Seeing him like that broke her heart a little.

She realized rather shocked that despite the crackling fire and being wrapped in that thick woolly blanket he still seemed to be freezing. Quickly she cast a warming spell on the both of them and pulled him even closer to her.

After a few minutes, she sensed that he had finally calmed down again and started to try to leave the embrace she bestowed upon him but wouldn't let her go. Nevertheless, she finally succeeded after some calming words, and she didn't even turn around fully when he started to whimper again.

Is it really that bad? Why does he seem to calm down whenever I touch him? Well, if I think about it... How much did I crave to be held and comforted after the war? Maybe he just needs someone to be there for him.

Heaving a small sigh she settled back onto the couch with him. Once in a sitting position, she pulled his body up a bit and now his head was resting in her lap. Deep in thought about this day she began stroking his hair. Only shortly after that, she fell asleep again.

The next morning Harry and Ginny were the ones to wake up first. Quietly they stepped into the dimly lit room. Once they entered they were in for quite a shock.

It wasn't every day that you get to see your best friend all cosy with her former professor. At seeing Severus having his head in her lap they couldn't help themselves but start laughing quietly. Harry took out his wand and transformed one of the teacups into a muggle camera.

After having shot three pictures they left the room and found themselves in the bedroom and after putting up silencing spells the both of them lost it and started laughing uncontrollably.

After the both of them calmed down a bit Harry asked his fiancée: "What do you think about them?" and Ginny took another look at the picture before answering.

"I don't really know. For one, I am happy for her. She went out again and, to put it quite frankly, looks like she's finally living again, but you know, I'm a bit concerned. What if he diverts back to his old self once the memories returned? She won't be able to take another thing like that. She's far too vulnerable at the moment. She cares for him, wants to help him, likes him and I suspect in a more than friendly way."

"I totally agree there. But I don't think he'll manage to put his walls back up again. Anyway, let's go wake them up, or we won't make it to Diagon Ally before the shops are closing."

Harry nodded, and they made their way to Hermione's kitchen to prepare breakfast for the four of them. Once they were finished with that Ginny went over and kneeled next to where Hermione was sleeping.

"Hermione, wake up. Breakfast is ready."

Slowly the brown-haired witch came to and opened her eyes. As she saw Ginny there she was quite puzzled and wanted to stand up immediately.

"If you do not want to wake Severus up in a rather hurting manner I'd advise you to wake him up first," was all a snickering Ginny told her friend before smiling down at the wizard in her friend's lap, and then she made her way over to the kitchen.

"Uhm yeah, sure. Wake him up first," muttered Hermione before looking down at the sleeping Severus with a rather flushed face.

"Severus. Sev. Wake up, breakfast is ready, and we wanted to go to Diagon Ally. Sev. Severus?" a small soft voice told him as he was slowly waking up. Just as he opened his eyes, Hermione noticed that he had this far- off looking gaze again.

Sev, wake up. We're going to Diagon Ally to buy our books. Come on, Severus. Seeeeeev!" called a teenage Lily as she fought to get him to wake up. "Your mother prepared breakfast. Come now." She continued gripping at his shoulder. It is only with great disdain that his teenage self followed the bouncy fourteen-year-old girl with flaming red hair down the narrow stairs at Spinner's End.

He broke out of his trance looking in the rather concerned eyes of a certain brown-eyed witch.

"Severus. What is it this time? What do you remember?"

"Nothing bad, don't worry. I just remembered Lily waking me up because we wanted to go to Diagon Ally, and she was just really hyperactive. It must have been before we started our fourth year at Hogwarts and everything was fine. Something deep down tells me that that changed not so long after that."

He answered with his voice still heavy from sleep. Slowly he began to sit up and suddenly realized, where exactly he had been sleeping that night.

"I'm sorry," was his mumbled reaction as his cheeks flushed a bit.

"Whatever for?"

At that, he nodded meaningfully down to their joined position on the couch.

"What do you recall from yesterday?"

"Only that you made me a hot chocolate and prepared yourself a cup of tea. Otherwise, my mind is blank."

"Well, you were shaking so badly that I mixed your chocolate with a calming draught to help you settle your nerves. You fell asleep only a few minutes afterwards. You stirred in the middle of the night and began thrashing around and, well- you wanted that someone would leave a woman alone. I just hugged you to calm you down. As that happened shortly after I wanted to go back to my couch, but you began thrashing again and that's why I settled us both here. I hope I didn't invade your privacy. If I did, I'm really sorry."

His expression changed from something akin to embarrassment to shocked and flustered.

"I well, no. That's not what I meant. I- uhm, thank you," he mumbled flushing a deeper shade of red.

"We should go to the kitchen. Harry and Ginny arrived yesterday, and they prepared breakfast."

She didn't have to tell him again as he was standing in front of her with his hand held out for her to take in a matter of just a few seconds. Hermione happily took it and stood herself. Together they walked into her kitchen their hands still joined.