A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. Other prompts are listed below. :)
Herbology Task 3: Write about looking after someone who is sick.
Word Count: 1540
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.
Enjoy!
James Potter walked clumsily through the door of his house, balancing many grocery bags in his arms. He shut the door with his foot, shivering slightly as the October wind brushed past his face. He strode into the kitchen and placed the bags on the counter, then pulled off his black gloves and cloak.
"Lily," he called as he unwound his Gryffindor scarf from his neck. "I'm home!"
They'd been married for a year, and it had been the best of James' life. Some people thought that nineteen had been much too young to get married, but James and Lily disagreed; war was looming over them all, and they wanted to be as close together as possible in case the worst happened.
James shook his head, trying to dispel the dark thoughts. He ran a hand through his untidy dark hair, then went in search of his wife. He looked in the kitchen and the dining room where she often worked, but she wasn't there. She wasn't in the sitting room or their bedroom either, and he was beginning to get worried.
"James?"
He burst into the bathroom, relaxing when he caught sight of Lily. His relieved smile fell into a frown when he realized what was happening. He quickly knelt beside the toilet where Lily was hunched over and pulled her red hair away from her face.
"Hey," he murmured. "Why didn't you call me?"
Lily coughed and sputtered into the toilet, her face flushed but clammy. "I've been—been here since it st-started."
James winced, ignoring the rancid smell that was filling the bathroom. He rubbed her back soothingly, knowing that the only thing they could do was wait until the vomiting subsided. After a couple of minutes, Lily sat up and leaned her head against his chest.
"I think I need to lie down."
James nodded, kissing the top of her head gently. "Yeah. Hang on, I'll help you."
He took her over to the couch and she sat down, clutching her head. James stood in front of her for a moment, unsure what to do. He'd never been in this situation before. He grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and a pillow from their bed and brought it to Lily. She took them gratefully, her green eyes dulled from the illness.
"Thank you, love," she rasped. "Come sit with me."
James hovered in front of her for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want anything? Soup? Another blanket?"
Lily rolled her eyes fondly. "James. It's just a cold. It's not the end of the world."
James waved his hand in the direction of the bathroom. "Didn't seem like 'just a cold' to me."
Lily reached out a hand and James wrapped his fingers around hers. "James, let's just take it easy for today. You don't need to fuss; just stay here."
James relented and sat next to her. Lily smiled sleepily, stretching so that her legs were draped over James' lap. She fell back onto the pillow and closed her eyes, leaving James and his mind very much awake.
He sat there silently for a bit, his mind whirling. He'd never been good at staying still for long, especially when he was worried about something; he had to be up and moving, so he could feel like he was helping the situation. He drummed his fingers against his leg, wishing Lily's legs weren't pinning him to his seat. He bit his lip and surveyed the room, making mental notes of things he should do when he could get up. He could fold the blanket over the armchair, and he needed to clean the bathroom. Lily wanted to decorate the house for Halloween—Muggle-stye, of course—so he could get started on that. And he still needed to put away the groceries, sort out the bills—
James groaned. This wasn't working. Praying that some action might help put his mind at ease, James pulled his wand out of his back pocket and flicked it, satisfied when he heard the food items putting themselves away.
"Dammit, James. Read a book. I can feel your restlessness."
James apologized and grabbed a random book off of the table beside him. He opened up to a random page and began reading. After a few minutes, he couldn't focus on it anymore. He was afraid that he was doing something wrong—like he wasn't doing all that he could to help Lily.
"James."
He froze, then turned to look guiltily at his wife. "Yes? Need something?"
"Yeah," she sighed, sitting up. "I need you to stop worrying. I can practically hear you."
James looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry. You know I'm not good at this sort of thing."
Lily's green eyes softened. "I can't sleep anyway. Let's watch a movie. In the spirit of Halloween."
James jumped up, eager to help in any way he could. "Right! What's your favorite scary movie?"
Lily's lips pulled up into a smirk. "That depends. What are you afraid of?"
James rolled his hazel eyes, shooting his wife an unimpressed look. "Ha, ha. Very funny."
Lily laughed and blew him a kiss, though it was somewhat ruined by the coughing fit that ensued. James hurried to the kitchen and filled a glass with water, which Lily took gratefully. It took some prompting, but he left her on the couch so he could put a movie on.
James pulled out a movie and glanced over his shoulder at Lily. "Close your eyes! It'll be a surprise."
Lily looked at him warily. "I'm afraid to close my eyes, and I'm afraid to open them. Your taste in movies is terrible."
"Hey!"
Lily laughed again, though hoarsely, and James smiled fondly at her as he came over to sit down. James pulled her against his chest, and she hummed in contentment. James relaxed; affection was something he knew how to do.
Halfway through the film, Lily murmured, "You don't have to worry so much about me. You should go back to work; I know your break's over by now. Like I said before, it's just a cold."
James frowned down at his wife. "I want to be here with you," he told her. "I know that you will be all right here on your own, but we take care of each other in this house. I made a vow, and I'm not going to break it."
Lily sniffed, her eyes a little watery. "There's not much difference between madness and devotion."
James grinned. "I've always been a bit mad."
Lily shoved him playfully in the chest. "Don't I know it."
She began coughing, and James rubbed her back. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," Lily rasped weakly. "You know, it's days like this that I'm glad to have you in my life."
James smiled at the compliment, but couldn't resist teasing her. "What, you don't think that every day?"
Lily threw her pillow at him.
Their movie ended, and James stood up, stretching his long limbs. "I'm going to grab a drink," he told Lily. "Want anything?"
Lily tunneled under her blanket, then answered him. "Yes. My sunglasses."
James paused, confused. "Your sunglasses? It's October… and we're inside."
Lily tapped her head. "The lights are giving me a headache."
"Then don't you want me to turn them—"
"No, that wouldn't be fair to you; you have things you need to do. I'll take the glasses."
He relented, if only because he knew that Lily could win any argument she deemed important enough. He grabbed a butterbeer for himself and then brought her her sunglasses. As he was heading out of their bedroom, something on their dresser caught his eye.
It was a Polaroid picture of the two of them in their backyard, orange and red leaves falling all around them. James' arms were wrapped around Lily, and she was laughing and grinning at the camera.
A wave of sadness washed over James. He loved his wife more than anything, and seeing them both so happy and carefree was bittersweet; there was a war looming over them, and they might not be safe for long. They were both members of the Order of the Phoenix, and James knew that whatever was coming, they'd be right in the thick of things.
He pocketed the picture and went back out to the sitting room, only to find that Lily was already fast asleep. He smiled softly and threw a thick blanket over her, then placed the sunglasses on the coffee table. He turned out the lights and went into the kitchen, lighting a couple of candles because he knew Lily liked the apple scent. He sat down, pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose, and pulled out the picture once more. His eyes found Lily's sleeping form. Determination raced through him; he wouldn't let anything happen to her, not so long as he was alive. Their family, their lives, were something he would fight for.
James stood up, needing to keep his hands busy. When Lily woke up he'd bring her something to drink, but right now, he needed to do something to keep his thoughts about the war at bay.
They could only focus on one day at a time.
A/N: Prompts:
Writing Club:
Character Appreciation: 25. (relationship) husband/married
Book Club: Martin — (object) sunglasses, (word) tunnel, (dialogue) "Dammit, [Name]. Read a book."
Showtime: 4. Kiss the Girl — (action) blowing a kiss
Amber's Attic: 8. Scream — (dialogue) "What's your favorite scary movie?" (5 bonus points)
Count Your Buttons: Dialogue 4. "What are you afraid of?"
Lyric Alley: 21. Whatever you want
Sophie's Shelf: 18. (dialogue) "I'm afraid to close my eyes, and I'm afraid to open them."
Emy's Emporium: 4. Alt: (dialogue) "Close your eyes!"
Angel's Arcade: 8. TJ Combo — (object) gloves, (action) throwing something, (phrase) 'days like this'
Lo's Lowdown: Dialogue 3. "There's not much difference between madness and devotion."
Film Festival: 12. Polaroid photo
Autumn Funfair:
Bingo: 41. Candles (2)
Gris-Gris Bag
(dialogue) "It's a cold. It's not the end of the world."