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It started in the morning. Harry had been on watch when Hermione awoke for the day, but there was something about her that was… off. She looked paler than usual and, no matter how stubbornly she tried to hide it, she moved slower and more laboriously. He watched her carefully as she got ready for the day and to take over the watch. He couldn't help but noticed the slight sheen of sweat that appeared on her forehead at even these everyday tasks. Only a few minutes later, he stood, preparing to hand her his spot and the locket. However, he kept his hand on it for a second longer.
"Are you okay?" He asked, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.
"I'm fine. Why would you ask that?" She responded sternly. She tore the locket from his hand and sat down stubbornly, pulling out The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Harry took this as a sign to drop his concern and went into the tent to get some sleep.
As the day went on, Harry began to wonder if his assumptions that morning had been wrong. Hermione seemed either perfectly fine or possessing a superhuman level for making it seem like she was. Throughout the day, she could be seen moving back and forth between studying her many books or scavenging the forest for anything edible and even going through the entire tent, organizing all the stray objects and articles of clothing. However, when it finally came time to eat, she seemed to suddenly lose all interest in what little sustenance that was probably keeping her healthy in the first place, instead opting to start her watch shift early.
"Hermione, you've got to eat something," Harry pleaded, sitting down next to her with a bowl of the watery soup she had prepared earlier.
"I'm not hungry."
"You haven't eaten anything all day."
"I haven't been hungry. We've got too many other things to worry about."
"More important than food and staying healthy?"
The last part of that sentence seemed to hit a nerve. She glared over at him, but seemed to have no comeback. Silence fell in between them. Harry just sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not leaving until you eat that." He answered, setting the bowl by her foot.
"You need sleep. You'll fall asleep on watch if you don't go to bed."
"Yup," was his only response. She was right, of course, which he perfectly knew, but he was ready to settle in for the long run.
Sighing, she picked up the bowl and spoon and downed the soup quickly. Perhaps a bit too quickly as she felt her stomach churn as it had been all day. However, she managed to keep it down long enough to convince Harry to go back inside the tent and get ready for bed.
Ten minutes later, Harry was pulling a change of shirt over his head when he heard it; a coughing and spattering sound as if someone had suddenly emptied something onto the earth. Which was exactly what happened. Making sure he had his wand, out of habit than anything else, he made his way outside, only to find Hermione a ways away, leaning against a tree. He cringed as her stomach emptied itself once more, but still was able to go over and place a hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly.
"Finished?" he asked gently, when a minute when by without any protest from her stomach. She nodded and allowed him to lead her back to the tent. However, she stopped before they went in.
"What?" he asked, wondering if she was about to get sick again.
"I have watch. You need sleep so you can take over in a few hours."
"Hermione…" he started, telling himself he should've expected this, "Hermione, no. You're sick. You need sleep more than I do. Go lay down. I'll do the watch for now."
"I'm not sick! It's probably just something I ate. You need to - You need -"
"Hermione?"
Suddenly, he felt himself racing forward to catch his friend before she hit the ground. He knelt down, supporting her shoulders with his arm while he used his other hand to feel her face and forehead. He was shocked to find that she was burning up beneath his fingers. Her skin was ashen with a fine coat of sweat on it, despite the cool evening temperature. Shifting around carefully, he placed his arm under her knees and picked her up bridal-style, taking her into the tent and placing her gently onto her bed.
However, he had no idea where to go from there. He had never taken care of someone like this before. He knew he had to get her fever down, but he hadn't any idea if she had packed any sort of medicine in that bloody beaded bag of hers. His only thought was to make her comfortable, so he gently pulled her shoes off and was just about to toss a blanket over her when she finally came to.
"Harry?"
"Yes, Hermione?"
"I don't feel so well." At this, Harry had to chuckle, knowing full well she would probably hit him if she was in a state to do so.
"I know. Just get some rest." He said, throwing the blanket over her. For a second, she looked like she was going to protest, but her fever seemed to be knocking some sense into her, so she merely shifted into a more comfortable position. Satisfied, Harry grabbed his wand and went outside to continue the nightly watch.
The next morning, Harry awoke to the sounds of retching. Jerking upright, his body protested rather painfully, for he had fallen asleep on the hard ground, leaning against the tent. He hadn't even awoken when Hermione presumably rushed right by him in an attempt to not get sick inside their living space. Once he was awake enough to become more aware of his surroundings, he stood and walked over to his friend who was once again leaning against a nearby tree, clutching her stomach. Harry saw it clench as she heaved, but nothing came up, for there was nothing to expel. She hadn't eaten anything since the soup she rejected last night.
"Ow…" she whimpered, tears burning the backs of her eyes. A violent shiver ran through her that only had partly to do with the cold morning air biting her skin, for she ran out without a jacket or shoes. She barely registered that Harry had taken his jacket off and placed it over her shoulders. In fact, she barely registered that he was even there until a cup of water appeared under her nose. She smiled at him gratefully before downing it.
"Easy…" he warned, grabbing it and tipping it back, away from her face, "At that rate, you'll throw it back up again and it won't do you any good. Little sips. Try again," he said, allowing her to tip it back up to her mouth but keeping his hand on it as a precaution, ignoring the glare she was attempting to throw his direction.
Ten minutes later, Hermione had been coerced back into bed while Harry took over the responsibility of doing the day-to-day chores of getting fresh water, picking up after themselves, and maintaining the strength of the protective charms around them, especially since they decided it was best to stay at least one more day. Though she had protested at first, she had fallen asleep fairly quickly, not even noticing the bucket Harry set down next to her before tucking her blanket around her to calm her fevered shivering. A quick brush of his hand over her forehead told him her temperature hadn't gone down at all.
She slept rather soundly for the rest of the day, finally waking around dusk. Harry had been sitting at the table, dishing up the soup he made for dinner when she walked in, wrapped in her blanket but looking marginally better than earlier.
"Think you can eat something?" he asked, pushing a half-bowl of soup in her direction.
"I can try," she said, a smile gracing her mouth that seemed to light up her features after the last few days. Harry couldn't help but smile back as she situated herself at the table, making sure to keep her blanket wrapped snuggly around her.
She ate slowly, and didn't finish all he offered her, but they were both happy with it nonetheless. She allowed Harry to stand and clear the dishes as she allowed her stomach to settle and get used to having food in it once more. When that was done, though, she stood and joined him as he started his watch. She sat down next to him and threw the blanket over him so it covered them both.
The moon shone above them on this clear late-fall night. Hermione laid her head on Harry's shoulder as the night surrounded them. No words were said between them, because no words needed to be said. The two of them merely just watched the forest around them get darker and darker as time ticked by. The peacefulness of the forest was in such contrast of the war waging all around them, but they chose to embrace this serenity at this moment. Everything else could wait until later. He had her to take care of first.
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