Disclaimer: JKR owns everything, not me.

Note: This was written for Healer Pomfrey's Autumn Challenge.

Broken Bottles of Ink

Harry slumped against the cool wall of the dungeons and rubbed his sore legs. Last night's Quidditch practise had been amazing, but his body still hadn't adjusted to it. A yawn reminded him of the passing time, he still had homework to do and there was another Quidditch practice early the next morning.

"Come on." Ron tugged his arm. "If you keep waiting there isn't going to be any food left!" He complained.

"Just go on without me." Harry waved his friend forward. Ouch! His wrist hurt when he moved it. Slowly and painfully he began the trek from the Potions classroom to the Great hall.

Ron had been wrong. Even through Harry was one of the last people to arrive, there was still plenty of food left. More than he'd ever had at the Dursley's. What would the Dursley's think if someone at the school owled them because he was feeling poorly? Harry almost burst out laughing at the mental image.

The Dursley's never cared when he was sick. Harry had learned at a very young age to keep his problems to himself and simply tough things out.

The idea of gorging himself on the large amounts of food set out was nauseating to even think about. The trek upstairs made me feel even worse. I'd rather just head up to bed. Harry slid off of the bench. Ron didn't even look at him. But that was a good thing since his entire face was smeared with mashed potatoes.

Harry shouldered his book bag and headed to Gryffindor tower. Wait! I've got to do my homework. Sighing he turned and headed toward the library. I just want to go to bed in the tower. At least it will be cooler with the windows open.

He was so lost in this thoughts that Harry walked straight into another student. Books went flying everywhere and a bottle of ink smashed and covered his face and both of their robes.

"Sorry." He knelt down and began to pick up books with his eyes still half closed. Harry couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, it was just too much work.

"Careful!" A small, gentle hand touched his. "You'll cut yourself."

Harry looked up to see a kind face. He knew the girl, but his overworked brain couldn't place her name at this time. "Sorry." He said again, even more monotonously this time.

She smiled. "It's fine." She pulled out her wand and repaired the ink bottle and gathered up the rest of her books. "I'm Susan Bones, we have the same Herbology class." She told him.

Harry nodded, he recognized her now. Sometimes she smiled at him. She's kind of pretty. He thought. Her long blond hair did look good on the yellow border of her robe and her eyes were kind. "Harry Potter."

Susan giggled. "I know." She offered a hand to help him up. "You've got ink all over your face!" She exclaimed.

After rubbing useless at his face Harry saw the dark liquid. "Yeah, I guess I do." This sucks! I want to get my homework done so I can go to bed!

"Come on to the 'Puff common room. There's a potion you use to get it all off." Susan told him as he put his book bag back over his shoulder.

"Hmm?" Harry shook his head, trying to clear the fuzzy feeling. "Sure, whatever." He let Susan lead him through the walls to her common room near the kitchens. The air was moist and warm, but to him it felt unpleasantly hot.

"Just wait here for a moment." Susan motioned to large, comfortable looking sofa. "I'll be right back."

Harry gratefully collapsed onto the couch. It feels so nice to take a break. He felt his eyes slipping closed and his breathing became deeper despite his stuffed up nose.

"Harry." Someone was touching his arm.

Harry sat up and look around. He was still on the sofa, but it was later. "Wha?"

Susan showed him the ink removal potion. "Just hold still and I'll get it off." She conjured a soft cloth and poured a little of the potion onto it before rubbing it over Harry's face. "Um. . .I don't think I made it right."

"Why?" Harry felt his face. The ink was gone and his fingers came away clean. "What happened?"

Susan blushed. "I'll be right back." She ran back into her dormitory and returned with a silver backed mirror. "Just take a look."

Harry accepted the mirror and glanced at his face. "Is that me?" His voice rose and he dropped the mirror as he started coughing. My face is hot pink! I thought that Susan knew what she was doing. "Will it wear off?"

"In a few hours. I hope." Susan looked upset. "You can stay here until then. The other Hufflepuffs are at Professor Sprout's monthly party in the greenhouse."

Harry yawned and curled back into a ball on the sofa. It was warm in front of the fire, but even after removing his robes he still felt too warm. "Hot." He muttered to himself.

Susan sat on the armchair across from him, watching worriedly. She didn't have much experience with other people, at home it was just here and her aunt, but Harry didn't look to good. Even under the pink, his face looked flushed.

Then Harry began tossing and turning under the blanket that Susan had draped over him. It fell to the floor and he began to shiver and shake as the bits of sweat flew off his twisting body.

"Stop Harry!" Susan tried to hold him still. "Harry, stop! You'll fall off the sofa." She shook him roughly by the shoulders, hoping that it would wake him up.

Harry opened his eyes and stopped moving. He curled into the foetal position and started muttering as he rocked himself back and forth. Susan bent down to hear his words.

"Please no, I'll be good. Not the cupboard. Please Aunt Petunia!" He was starring past her.

Susan pulled out her wand. She wanted to create water to help him snap out of it, but only a few drops fell on to his forehead. "Harry, it's Susan. I'm not your aunt!" She gave him another shake.

Harry gasped and sat up. "So hot." He pushed his sweaty hair off his forehead and gave Susan a lovely view of his scar. He shivered again and laid back down. "Cold."

He's so warm! Susan felt his forehead. She remembered her aunt making snow for her whenever she had a fever. She pulled out her wand and tried again. This time a small amount of snow, about the size of a snowball fell from her wand onto the floor. She scooped up as much as possible and charmed it to stay cold before placing it on Harry's head.

"Feels good." Harry said, leaning into the snow she pressed onto him.

Susan didn't know how long she sat next to Harry for. Light stopped coming in from the windows and the lights dimmed when the bell rang for curfew. But since the other Hufflepuffs were staying with their head of house for the night there was no one to take other for her.

Eventually Harry woke up again. He was cooler this time but still tired. "Susan?" He asked when her head appeared over him. Why is she still here? Why would anyone want to spend time near me? I'm just a freak.

"Harry!" Susan stirred out of her short nap. "Do you want to move to one of the dormitories? Beds are more comfortable to sleep on." She said with a smile.

Harry nodded. "That sounds great." He let Susan lead him into the first year boys dorm. Since boys couldn't get into the girls dorm she set him up on one of the beds and took the one next to him.

"Just go back to sleep Harry. I'll wake you up in the morning." She yawned and waited until he was sleeping to Nox the lights.

But a few minutes later she was woken up by a small pop and the lights coming back. Susan slid off the bed and looked around the room. There was something moving! She walked closer.

The house elf stared at her nervously. "Liddy is sorry. She is not wanting to wake Mistress up." She looked up at Susan nervously.

"It's all right. I wasn't really asleep." Susan said. She didn't want the elf to have to punish herself. "But could you do me a favour?"

The house elf nodded eagerly. "Liddy is happy to help. What came Liddy be doing for you?"

"I need you to tell Professor Sprout that Harry Potter's ill and he's in the first year boys dorm. Ask her to come and bring some potions for him." She ordered the elf. "Quickly please."

"Liddy will be right back." The house elf popped away.

Susan sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and awaited for her head of house to arrive.

***

The next morning Harry was feeling much better. After the potions and resting he was ready for another day.

"Wait Harry." Susan put a hand on his shoulder. "Professor Sprout excused us from classes today. You're not completely recovered yet. Go back to bed." She lead him into the dormitory and back to the bed that the house elf had cleaned and put fresh sheets on.

Harry smiled. "Thanks for helping me Susan. You're an awesome friend."