+ One-shot

+ takes place during PoA, Chapter Nine: Grim Defeat

+ from Severus Snape's POV mostly

+ regular disclaimer applies! All characters and situation belong to J.K. Rowling respectively.

Childish Slumber

Severus Snape cracked an eyelid open and his dark, black pupil instinctively scanned the large room. Standing inches from his face was the boot of the school's deputy headmistress, Transfiguration teacher and Gryffindor Head of House, Minerva McGonagall. The witch huffed with a slight quirk of her thin lips as the Potions Master dared to close his eyes again and turn over noisily.

She had no choice but to stoop on the floor of the Great Hall floor and prod his shoulder with her finger. "Severus," she admonished gently. "You know you need to get up and take your shift."

Severus, not wanting to push his colleague as she already looked dead on her feet, sprung up from his squashy purple sleeping bag and stood easily, not so much as a stretch or yawn needed. Still, the Head of Slytherin didn't stop himself from swearing silently at Sirius Black wherever the man might be…hopefully away from the castle by this point. They had a few teachers patrolling outside the Great Hall but their search had ended a couple of hours ago.

Minerva settled herself into her own sleeping bag a few bodies down from his after she bid him good night quietly and scolded him with her feline-esc eyes. Her former student couldn't help but roll his own—did she honestly think he'd make good on his threats to strangling the dumber of his Potions students—one being Longbottom—when given the chance? Sorely tempting because of the wasted half-melted cauldrons he needn't throw out within the next few years…but not his style. Severus Snape would never put do sneak attacks, especially on those smaller and far more unintelligent than him.

The Transfiguration professor was now slumbering with the rest of the motionless figures in the Great Hall and Severus was the only one awake other than the few patrolling out in the corridors. His mind reflected on the conversation he had 'almost' had with the Headmaster concerning a certain Defense Against the Dark Arts professor…

His head turned slightly to allow the deeply breathing figure of the Headmaster into his peripheral vision. He was sleeping as comfortably as a baby in a crib much to Severus's confusion. Black was currently at large, had entered the castle by Merlin knows what means and had wreaked havoc on the entrance to the Gryffindor portrait hole that had separated the mad man from the precious Golden Boy!

'Potter…' his mind instinctively growled.

Somehow the usually careful ex-Death Eater had not merely thought this sentiment and only did he realize this when he stood above the blinking, bleary eyed werewolf who sought to continue Severus's hell of an existence, Remus Lupin. The man was still lying in the same position he had been dozing in a few seconds ago, lying flat on his back, one arm cushioning his head and the other lying across his stomach.

'Go back to sleep!' Severus ordered the man on the floor silently.

"Severus?"

Said man took to pinching the bridge of his nose as the suspicious topic of his would-have-been conversation with Dumbledore sat up from his massive pouch of purple. It was unnerving how the Headmaster had allowed the werewolf to sleep to one of his sides…Severus on the other. Minerva was now slumbering silently next to Remus's spot where the damned man should be sleeping too!

"I've got everything under control, Lupin. Go back to sleep." hissed Severus shortly to his former classmate.

"I can see that, Severus. I'll just sit up for a few minutes, if you don't mind." came the man's mild voice, a troubled smile on his weary face.

The thing was, Severus did mind! But the Potions Master remained quiet as the peace of the Great Hall made itself overwhelming with the unison of deep breathing and slight shifting within the squashy sleeping bags.

"It's like a giant slumber party." Remus whispered humorously with an edge of exhaustion.

"Yes, despite the fact that we have an escaped Azkaban convict on the loose desperate to harm the precious hairs on one of our more abnormally thick headed Gryffindors!" Severus sneered as softly as possible. Much to his displeasure, he noticed the hints of weariness in his own voice. It made his sarcasm sound friendly.

The other man smiled at Severus's words although the mention of Black did bring a momentary glint of anger to spark in the tired eyes.

There was a handful of good silence, the two still awake but not so much.

"Who's watching outside the doors?" Remus's voice startled the semi-conscious state of "sleeping with your eyes open" that Severus had not noticed he had fallen into.

"Fillius and Pomona," Severus said shortly. 'Could you stop talking to me already?' he asked the other man desperate for a telekinetic connection.

There was silence again which Severus was glad for until he noticed some more noticeable movement in the corner of the Great Hall.

'Of course, Potter and his friends!' Severus thought with tired exasperation.

But it wasn't the Potter boy making the commotion. It was the Weasley boy.

Severus and Remus watched as the red-head sat up blinking at the air as though he weren't really seeing the sea of motionless bodies of purple in front of him. The boy scratched his head and glanced at Harry Potter who was sleeping fitfully, eyes shut tighter than they should have been, fists curled and pulled close to his head, then at Hermione Granger who was on her stomach, her pillow gathered in her arms under her head of bushy hair.

Both Hogwarts professors were startled to see Ron Weasley stand from his spot and walk quietly yet clumsily towards the two, sleeping bag clutched in his arms. Severus quirked his brow as the boy moved to the space between Potter and Granger before plopping the sleeping bag onto the floor with a little noise and settle into the squashy blob between his friends.

From his peripheral vision, he could see Remus's lip twitch with a smile as the James Potter look-alike moved closer to the red-head and the "insufferable know-it-all" scoot herself closer to the two boys, both obviously still asleep as they did so.

They became one mass of slumbering Gryffindor kittens.

"Sometimes I forget how these kids are still cubs yet," Remus whispered with a sigh. Severus was sure he wasn't talking to him in particular.

They continued to watch the three as they noticed Potter's clenched fists relax after a while and his expression became more peaceful.

'When was the last time I could sleep like that?' thought Severus before he could catch himself.

Suddenly, the image of the three slumbering Gryffindors seemed too…innocent…for his eyes. The vision still burned in his mind's eye even as he turned his sights on the Headmaster again, asking silent questions he had continued to leave unanswered for the past thirteen years. His promises, duty, despair…

"It's hard to remember how much we depend on each other sometimes…" came Remus's voice again. "That unhindered trust in each other…even though they don't realize what they're doing." The man smirked with a thought. "I can imagine how Miss Granger will go red once she wakes up and the two boys will be too embarrassed to look at the other for a while."

Severus nodded, unable to make any of his trademark comebacks as he concentrated on focusing on anything but those three.

He could hear Remus shift deeper into his sleeping bag again. "Good night, Severus," the man breathed as he closed his eyes. Somehow, the image of the three friends sleeping so soundly had reminded Remus of his exhaustion.

Severus turned his gaze momentarily on the Defense teacher before allowing his eyes to travel across the Great Hall.

'Unhindered trust…'

That sort of trust was both common and uncommon. It was the trust of a young babe with the familiar parent or it could be the trust of a friend after year and years of experience with the other. Severus realized he didn't have that kind of trust…anymore. That sort of trust was hopeless in his situation…and situations to come. Startled slightly by the ungracious snort of the barmy old codger that slept next to Severus sleeping bag, the Slytherin wondered…

'Why, Albus?'

There were a few who had that 'unhindered trust' on him when he could not find it in himself to do the same for others. Some people—like meddling old men with a questionable penchant for sweets—didn't realize how untrustworthy Severus's life was, not that Severus couldn't be trusted.

…unless you were part of the dark side. Severus wasn't an ally of the dark any longer.

Was he ever?

But, anyways, Severus Snape was a man of his word. Especially to the light…considering his loyalties to Albus…and a certain green-eyed woman…

It was just that… His life. It was his life that turned up untrusting situations that kept Severus from being so…unhindered.

There was a contented sight that escaped the Potter boy that shook Severus. When had hen turned his head in their direction again? How long had he been watching those three? Since Lupin had left him awake and alone?

For those three dunderheaded Gryffindors…there was unhindered hope and trust yet.

There was a rustle of purple sleeping bags as the Granger girl subconsciously punched Weasley in the ribs when he rubbed at his nose with the back of his hand. This had caused his elbow to knock gently against the girl's head while Potter stretched a leg that shoved against Weasley's side. The red-head allowed the other two to gently pummel him in their sleep.

He must've been use to it…considering his family.

'Gryffindor kittens, indeed!' Severus smirked silently with a snort. 'And people expect this boy's going to save the wizard world? Are those two going to help him at it then?'

Somehow Severus had wanted that thought to sound cynical and not so…convincing.

Severus watched the rising sun through the tall windows of the Great Hall, stretching light across the vast floor of slumbering purple masses, a few twitching motions and reactions from the students to the light.

He hadn't woken the other teachers for the rest of the night after his shift. Surprisingly, Severus found he was more awake than the other teachers in the staff lounge who complained of stiff backs. Remus Lupin was one of them.

Severus couldn't help but let a small quirk of a smile escape.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated as always, friend.