The Healer On a House Call

Crack!

Richard Goodfellow Apparated outside the Malfoy Manor gates, and into middle of a storm in the middle of the night. Of course Draco hadn't mentioned the fact that weather would be nasty.

The Healer swore under his breath as he quickly cast an Impervious charm, and then lit his wand to get his bearings.

Another lit wand was at the manor's gates, illuminating the underside of a large umbrella and the young man under it.

"About time, Goodfellow" Draco called out.

Richard glared at him, hefted his medical bag, and then jogged over to where he was standing. The warming spell under the umbrella smoothed his annoyance somewhat.

"It's been crazy at St. Mungo's tonight. I just got off shift. You have perfect timing," he sarcastically replied, shaking rainwater onto the other's dry cloak.

Without answering, Draco turned to go back up to the house, Richard keeping in stride with him.

Nothing more was said until they were in the foyer and Richard had shed his cloak and cast a drying spell in it. His face and hair were still wet, but he simply ran a hand over his hair, and wiped his face with a handkerchief.

"What happened to the Floo?" Richard asked, breaking the silence.

"Mother took it off-line. People were dropping in unannounced and uninvited. When Umbridge showed up a day early for the High Tea Benefit, and refused to… Well, you remember 'Professor' Umbridge." Draco shrugged.

"How can I forget?"

"It was the last straw, and after that, everyone is to be allowed in only at the gate."

"No exceptions?" Richard asked with a grim smile. He knew he would never earn Narcissa Malfoy's good graces, but cutting her off from her medical "emergencies" was unexpected.

"She doesn't believe that there is such as thing as a 'dedicated' Floo," Draco coolly replied. "So, no, there isn't one from the hospital to here."

Richard sat in a chair and retied his shoelaces. "Gitfellow, there is a charm for that," Draco said, with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"I know, Dray, but I just got off shift, and I would like to sit down for a minute before I get to work here. Now, tell me, what is the matter this time? And why me, why not one of the other Healers? You know Narcissa -" he caught and corrected himself. "Your mother can't stand me." Richard started to fuss over his clothes. He was in no mood for the woman's criticisms.

Draco ignored the informality. "I thought you were the one for the job," Draco replied. "If you think you can't do it…," his voice trailed away as he shrugged both his eyebrows and his shoulders.

"Lead on, but I wish you'd tell me what it is. I might have been better prepared." The Healer took up his kit and readied himself for the unknown.

The two young men exited the foyer, Draco leading the way with only a slight glance back. Richard caught up to his quickly, and side-by-side the two went through the hallways of the mansion. Richard paused at one door, but Draco shook his head and kept walking past closed doors and antique furnishings.

"What's happened then?" Richard asked when he caught up. "Narcissa - " he caught and corrected himself. "Your mother's always had the Healers in the Garden Room."

Draco ignored the informality. "She's not in that room, Gitfellow," Draco said, with a smirk playing around his mouth. "Promise not to laugh."

"Laugh at what, Dray? I'm a Healer. What happened to your mother?"

Draco stopped suddenly. Richard walked past him, and swung around to face him.

"Something has happened to her. Tell me, so I can do a proper job and not have her hexing me or something," Richard ordered. "Isn't that the door to her room, to her boudoir? She'll kill me before I step a foot in there. Or," Richard asked worriedly, "is she really in trouble this time?"

Draco didn't answer; his face was unreadable.

Richard studied his for a short while, and then, softly asked, "Who else is in the house, other than the house-elves; any servants today? I know Mr. Malfoy isn't here, is he? So are there any friends or relatives I should know about? Enemies that I should be aware of?" He did not take his eyes off Draco's face.

Draco's eyes flickered with amusement. "Yes, there was, but she's gone now." Richard realized that the friend-or-foe question wasn't answered. "It's just Mother in the room. You aren't going to tell anyone about this, are you?"

Richard was annoyed. "About what? You called my from my flat on a dark and stormy night to take a walk with you in the manor house? To admire the furniture in the hallways? Who am I going to tell? And why would anyone be interested?"

Draco gave a half-smile. "Richard," he said soothingly, "this is important. For Mother. I know you've have your, ah, 'differences'," (Richard politely refrained from snorting, but still shot the other a warning glance) but you are someone I can trust to do the job. Do it for Father's sake, then. It should be a short job, and it will be worth your while. Now please don't laugh when you open that door. Now be a good Mungo and go open the door."

Richard gave Draco a puzzled look, then lifted his medical bag again, "She's not going to hex me, is she?"

"No, I Stunned her before you got here."

"You Stunned your own mother?" Richard was shocked.

"Had to. You'll see why, now get to it before she gets out of it, Gitfellow," Draco ordered.

"Dray, I never would have believed you would do that," Richard muttered as he opened the door.

He looked into the room, then quickly closed the door and leaned weakly against the wall. He slid down to the floor, trying unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter, and then, roared with it.

"Walnuts!" he gasped. "What, she's got TWO up her nose!"

Draco grinned, then started laughing himself. "Told you it would be worth your while."

"Who?" sputtered Richard.

"Andromeda did it." He braced himself against a chair, trying to regain his composure. "They had a row, and the next thing I know, Mother was shrieking at the top of her lungs and her sister was flouncing out the door and down the hall. She was gone before I could stop her, so I had to Stun Mother. She would have done herself an injury!" Draco dropped himself in the chair, and leaned against its back. "Ah, you could have heard her outside, probably all the way across the downs." He grinned at Richard. "And I thought that you would be man enough for the job."

"So you're adding insult to injury," Richard pointed out.

"Gitfellow, Gitfellow, you've always been a good fellow," Draco replied as he caught his breath.

"Another pun like that, Dray, and I'll find a third walnut for your nose," Richard retorted, before he started snickering again.

"But you're a Healer; walnuts come out but they don't go in. Or something like that."

The two young men wore down in their laughing. Richard got up off the floor and brushed himself off with his hands.

"Well, I'll get washed, and then I'll get to work. How much longer do you think she'll be Stunned?"

Behind the door, Narcissa started shrieking.

Draco sighed as he stood up. "I'll go take care of her. I'll tell her that there's a Healer here."

Richard gave a small smile back. "Just don't tell her which one."