thanks to tiggs for betaing!

prompts at the bottom

664 words, by gdocs

Draco Malfoy spends too much time in St Mungo's.

Seamus thinks that maybe he's become a more empathetic person since becoming a Healer, because he actually noticed that.

And everybody else? Well, nobody really does anything about it. He checks himself in every week or so, and then he stays overnight and checks himself back out. As long as he keeps on paying the bill, they're fine with it.

"You're back," Seamus notes, walking into Draco's room and looking at his papers. It's Draco now, not Malfoy — he's supposed to force down any stupid school-age grudges for his job. Headaches. It always seems to be headaches.

"Yeah, well," Draco says, pointing to his head. He's sitting on the edge of the bed, kicking his feet like a child would do. It almost makes Seamus want to laugh. He doesn't. Instead he sighs.

"Headaches?" he asks, placing Draco's file down on the table and leaning against the wall. It's pretty obvious that headaches aren't the problem. Seamus' problem is figuring what Draco's problem actually is.

Draco gives him A Look. As in 'yes, headaches. Why do you think I'm in here?' It's a pleasure.

"I don't believe you, Draco," Seamus says, biting his tongue. He's going to do this, because… Merlin, he doesn't know why. He just needs to.

"That's great, Finnigan," Draco spits, saying Seamus' last name in a way that reminds Seamus that it's none of his business whether Draco is telling the truth or not; it's not like they're friends. They're far from friends. Seamus hated all of the Slytherins, including Draco. He'll bet that Draco hated all of the Gryffindors, including him.

But also, it is his business. He's Draco's Healer.

"You going to tell me what's actually wrong?" Seamus asks, staring down Draco.

Draco just shrugs.

…

"This is probably the sixth headache this month."

Draco shrugs.

They're back at it, and Seamus' stomach is twisted. He feels like a failure. What type of Healer is he if he can't even stop Draco from getting headaches so bad that he needs to keep returning? Or that he can't get Draco to admit why he's really at St Mungo's.

This time, though, he's prepared. Throwing a single glance at Draco, Seamus walks over to his desk and pulls out a small package. It's a simple solution: Muggle medicine.

Seamus holds it up for Draco, looking him straight in his grey eyes. Draco's eyes are hard.

"This is Ibuprofen. You just swallow one with water and it'll help your headache."

Seamus tosses the packet to Draco, who catches it, probably on instinct. He wonders if it's illegal to give a wizard Muggle medicine — it probably is — but at the same time, he's the Healer. He knows what he's doing.

He continues to stare down Draco as Draco reads the bottle.

"I swallow it whole?" Draco asks, looking back up, his grey eyes meeting Seamus'. Seamus nods. Draco looks back at the bottle, then back at Seamus, then back at the bottle and then he bursts into tears.

He bursts into tears and Seamus is so taken aback. He has no idea what to do.

"Draco?" he asks, tentatively moving closer to him, one arm out. This was not in his Healer training. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Draco whispers, wiping his eyes. Seamus can still see Draco's grey eyes in his mind. "I don't know," he repeats.

"There's patient confidentiality," Seamus offers. His ears are ringing with the sound of Draco's sobs.

Draco shakes his head, grasping the packet of Ibuprofen hard.

"I—" he doesn't look up at Seamus. Seamus wishes he would. "I'm fine."

He gets up, stiffly, still not looking at Seamus. Did Seamus mess up? Did he make Draco's problem worse?

"Thank you," Draco whispers, looking at the bottle in his hand. He walks out, Seamus watching him go. He has no idea what happened, what changed.

Seamus sort of wishes that Draco will return.

for:

the houses competition [gryffindor, year 7, short - grey eyes]