Author's Note:

This was a little idea that Seriously Sam and I concocted while talking about the man flu. I may have also been influenced by Monica claiming she's not sick to Chandler in an episode of Friends. Thanks to Seriously Sam for her help!

Hope you like this missing moment.

Thanks for reading and please review!

SICK

Ginny woke up slowly, stretching in the big bed. Harry was still sleeping next to her, his dark hair in his eye. She glanced at the clock and raised an eyebrow. Harry never slept past his alarm.

She shook him a bit and he grunted. "Five more minutes."

Ginny smiled and snuggled in to kiss his cheek, his nose, his lips. "You're going to be late for work, Harry."

His eyes fluttered open slowly, groggily. "What?"

"Work," Ginny repeated, giving him an amused look. "It's almost eight."

Harry stared at her, his eyes confused before he shot up. "Work. I have a meeting at eight thirty!"

Ginny nodded and watched him stumble out of bed, tripping over his slippers as he hurried into the bathroom. She heard the shower turn on and chuckled, stretching again before she climbed out of bed. She had the day off which she usually liked to spend having a lie-in, but finding her husband of six months also having a lie-in was definitely unexpected.

Feeling generous, she headed downstairs in her pjs, which consisted of a pair of Harry's boxers and a black vest. She put coffee on, since Harry had developed a taste for it, before she started scrambling eggs and frying bacon. By the time she finished, Harry still wasn't down and she frowned.

What was taking him so long this morning?

Ginny made a plate up for him and headed upstairs to find her husband. The last place that she expected to find him was half sleeping against the wall of the shower.

"Harry!"

"What? Yes, I'm coming," he said, blinking slowly.

Ginny stared at him a moment. "Did you not sleep well last night?"

He shook his head. "Slept fine. Be right out."

"Okay," Ginny said quietly. "If you're sure. I made eggs and bacon for you."

"Thanks."

Ginny made her way back downstairs, shaking her head. It was usually her that had to be dragged out of bed, but she supposed it was fair for Harry to have one day to be tired. He came downstairs five minutes later with his hair wet, fumbling with his tie. She moved to help him with it. He still seemed groggy.

"Sit and have some breakfast."

Harry took the coffee and sipped it quickly, stabbing some of the eggs. "I'm already going to be late, Gin. I have to go."

Ginny nodded. "Well, try to get something at work then or you'll be starved by lunch."

Harry took the bacon off the plate and grabbed another sip of coffee before he kissed Ginny. "Love you, bye."

"Love you, bye," she repeated, shaking her head in amusement.

He hurried off and when she heard him Apparate away, she decided to make up a lunch for him. She finished eating breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen before heading into the shower. Harry's wet towel was on the floor. He never left his wet towels on the floor. Harry wasn't the type to be a slob and Ginny knew that was from his upbringing. He always cleaned up after himself.

Something was definitely off with him that morning.

By the time that Ginny stepped into the Ministry just before noon that day, she'd already had a busy morning. She smiled at the Aurors when they greeted her and found her way to her husband's cubicle. She figured that she'd find him buried in paperwork since he was still in the office and not out on a case, instead she found him with crooked glasses, his mouth wide open as his face rested against his hand, and a little drool on his chin.

Ron grinned at her. "Hey, Ginny. You wear him out last night? Bloke can barely keep his eyes open."

"No, I didn't," she said, rolling her eyes when Ron took the basket. "That's for Harry, Ron."

"And Harry's my best mate, he will gladly share with me."

Ginny gently stroked her fingers through Harry's hair and he jolted, smacking himself in the face. "Imma awake," he said. "Hi, Ginny."

"Harry, why are you so tired?"

He shrugged, clearing his throat and blinking owlishly. "Just am. Hey, lunch, good I'm starved!"

Ginny kept her eye on him as he dug into the food with enthusiasm. He was definitely acting strange. She exchanged small talk with Harry and Ron before she kissed her husband goodbye and headed out. After running errands, she stopped by the Burrow and happily accepted the casserole that Molly gave her for dinner. She was just popping it into the oven when Harry came home that evening.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Harry smiled as he came down the stairs into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. "Hey, how was your day?"

"It was good. Andromeda wants to keep Teddy another night and I told her that's fine. He loves spending time with his grandmum."

"Sure," Harry said, yawning. "Is she bringing him home or are we picking him up?"

"I'll pick him up tomorrow on my way home from practice."

Harry nodded as he loosened his tie, shrugging off his Auror robes and putting them over the back of the chair. "What are you making? Where's Kreacher?"

"Mum gave me a shepherd's pie to make and Kreacher went to the market."

Harry slowly sat down in the chair, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. "Okay."

"Tough case?"

"No, nothing new."

"Harry, what's going on? Did you have bad dreams last night?"

He shook his head. "No, I slept fine. I'm just tired still. Guess I needed a few more hours." He was rubbing his head now, his finger rubbing his scar, tracing it.

Ginny moved to sit in his lap, framing his face in her hands. "Headache?"

"No, I'm fine," he said, kissing her cheek. "I'm going to take a rain check on dinner and turn in early if that's all right. I think a nap will help."

"Okay," Ginny said. "If you think so."

Ginny watched him head upstairs a moment later, still frowning. Something was up with him.

Three hours later when he was still sleeping in the living room, she started to worry. He woke up when she said his name, his voice hoarse.

"I'm fine, really," he insisted. "I'm good."

He coughed, reaching for the glass of water on the table.

"Harry, are you sure that you're feeling all right?"

"Fine. Never better," he said, sitting up. "Any food left?"

"Of course."

Harry moved a bit slow, but he was in the kitchen and eating the plate she'd left warming for him before he began to clean up the mess he'd made. He coughed a few times, catching himself; Ginny frowned.

"I think that you might be coming down with something."

"No, of course not," he said quickly. "Let me clean this up and then I'll get the trash out. I have some paperwork to get done tonight."

Ginny watched him move, still frowning. She left him alone to take a hot bath and heard him coughing again. By the time she came back downstairs, he was sniffling. She stood in the doorway of his study and just observed him. He was staring half in a daze at the paperwork; his mouth open, his breathing heavy. When he sniffled again, she realized what it was.

He had a cold.

She moved into the kitchen to get him a Pepper-Up Potion and placed it on the desk.

"Drink that."

Harry frowned as he sneezed. "What? Why?"

"Harry," she said in exasperation. "You're coming down with something. Drink that."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine," Ginny insisted. "Drink."

Harry coughed again, catching himself. "Ginny, will you just leave me alone to get this done? I'm bloody well fine!"

Ginny bit her lip to stop herself from saying something back to him. He clearly wasn't fine and she didn't understand why he was hiding it from her. She remembered when her brothers got sick growing up, it had been the end of the world. George had been face down in the cushions of the couch, telling her that she could have all of his worldly goods. Charlie used to moan loudly. Percy would demand their mother to bring him the best potions and Ron would stay buried in bed and swore that he was too weak to move. Bill would claim he was dying. And Fred… Fred had been the most dramatic of them all. He'd once cried out his entire death bed speech.

Thinking of Fred made her heart hurt. She turned her attention back to her husband as he sniffled. He grabbed a tissue and wiped his nose before moving back to his work as if he was perfectly fine. It was only then that she noticed he was shivering.

"Harry," she said softly. "Will you please take that potion? You'll feel better."

"I feel fine," Harry said again. "I can get all this work done, just give me some time. I won't fall behind. I won't hold you back."

Ginny frowned again and then her eyes widened. The Dursleys, she thought suddenly. They were the reason he was… those arses had made him feel guilty for being sick. They probably kept working him to the bone and now he was…

She moved out of the doorway and slid into his lap. He was burning up now, but he was still shivering in her arms. "I love you."

"Love you," he said, coughing into his arm.

Ginny stood up and took his hand. "Come with me."

"I'm not done my work."

"Your work can wait," Ginny told him.

She grabbed the potion off his desk and led him upstairs to their bedroom. When she began to undress him, he grinned.

"Oooh, yes, I want you to get naked too."

"Absolutely," Ginny promised. "You first."

Once she undressed him she grabbed his pyjama trousers and ordered him to step into them. He coughed again, followed by a sneezing fit. Ginny took the red fuzzy bath robe she'd bought him for Christmas and wrapped it around his shoulders to stop his shivering.

"I thought we were getting naked."

"We are. After you drink this."

"But I'm not thick!"

Ginny only stared at him. The last word had come out quite congested making his words even more false. "Then it will only give you more energy to shag me senseless."

Harry downed the potion, his ears steaming, before he handed the cup back to her and patted the sheets. "Bed?"

Ginny leaned over him, tucking him in. "Sleep."

"I'm not tired. Ginny, I'm not thick. I can't stay in bed."

"Harry," she said softly, stroking his hair. "You have a fever. You're not fooling anyone. I have no idea how you went to work today."

"S'not," he insisted, his voice almost childish. "I'm fine. I don't wanna be a burden."

Ginny kissed his forehead. "You are absolutely never a burden. You are sick and need to rest."

He swallowed and Ginny could see that it was painful for him. She reached for the glass of water on the nightstand and gave it to him to drink. He drank it gratefully. Ginny urged him to lie down, tucking him in as she gently stroked his hair. It wasn't long before he was fast asleep. She kissed his cheek and went downstairs to read a bit, hoping that he would get some rest.

She'd never seen Harry get sick before and the thought that he was afraid for her to see him sick, only made her hate the Dursleys even more. She'd just settled down with a book, when Harry came downstairs in his pj trousers and the red fuzzy bath robe.

"Harry, you're supposed to be sleeping."

"But s'not thick," he said, his voice hoarse and his nose now running.

Ginny gawked at him. Was he honestly still going to deny he was sick? His words were slurring because he was so congested.

"Harry, go back to bed. You need some rest."

"Nuh-uh, I feel great," he said, plopping onto the sofa next to her and snuggling into her shoulder. "I can't smell right now, but I know you smell delicious."

"Oh, I do, do I?" she said in amusement. She ran her fingers through his hair. "Bed. Now."

"Yes, let's go," he said, tugging her to her feet.

They went back into their bedroom and Harry immediately shrugged his robe off and pulled off his pyjama trousers. Ginny let her eyes travel down her husband's naked physique. Years of Auror training had taken away the lean almost scrawny build. He was all lean muscles now, tight stomach and beautiful. She absolutely was always tempted by the sight of him. He was semi-hard and if it wasn't for the fact that he was shivering, she might have considered it.

"Harry," Ginny said in exasperation. She moved towards him and put her hands on his naked chest. He was shivering, but covered in a damp sweat now.

"I want you," he said, kissing her shoulders. "I need you."

"As much as I love seeing you naked, Mr Potter, I think layers are much sexier right now."

He pouted when she put his bathrobe back on, moving him back onto the bed. "But s'not cold."

Ginny reached under the robe to hold his cock in her hand. "Lie down."

He did as he was told, putting his hand over hers. "Touch me."

Ginny stroked her hand up his chest to put her hand on his forehead. He was still quite hot. "You stay here," she said, getting off the bed and tucking him in. "Under the blankets."

"Ginny…"

"I'll be right back," she promised.

She hurried into the bathroom to find some salve for his chest to help him breathe better and to hopefully get the fever down. When she returned, he was on top of the blankets, robe opened, legs spread. He pat the bed.

"Come join me."

"Harry, you need to rest," she insisted.

"But s'not thick."

"You are sick," she said.

His hand slid down to grip himself firmly. "Don't you want to get with this, Mrs Potter?"

Ginny bit back a laugh. "I don't think you should say that even when you're not sick."

"But s'not thick!" he said, his voice getting more hoarser and more congested.

Ginny sat on the side of the bed, rubbing the salve on his chest. She kissed his cheek. "Go to sleep, love."

Harry reluctantly let her tuck him in, bundling the bathrobe closed again before she pulled the blankets up. "Come to bed with me. I'll make you feel as good as me."

"I'm sure you will," Ginny told him. "I'll be up later. First, you get some sleep."

She left him alone in bed and made her way downstairs in amusement. It was less than an hour later when Harry was back in the living room.

"Ginny, come to bed with me."

"Harry!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Not only was he still shivering uncontrollably, but his face and neck were flushed from fever and he was completely starkers.

"I want you. Don't you want me?" he asked, bending to nuzzle her neck before he turned his head and sneezed three times. "I'll make you feel so good. I want to be inside of you."

"Harry, you need to rest. Where is your bathrobe?"

Harry only sneezed again followed by a series of bad coughs. "Don't need it. M' fine."

"Hmm, yes, you sound fine," Ginny said, turning him around and shoving him up the stairs. When he made to turn around, she slapped his arse. "Upstairs, mister!"

Harry gave her a lopsided grin. "Are you going to punish me?"

Ginny bit back a laugh. "Yes. With lots of vitamin C."

At his frown, she ushered him back into bed, returning a few moments later with a tall glass of orange juice that she may have spiked with a cold potion.

Harry drank it, pulling her down into his lap when he was done. "I love you."

"I love you, now please get some rest."

"I'd rest better if we shagged first."

"I'm sure you would," Ginny said, tucking him back in. "But you need sleep and rest, not sex."

Harry shook his head. "I always need sex."

Ginny took his glasses off. "Sleep, Harry."

He finally fell asleep, his breathing heavy and she let out a sigh of relief. She sent a Patronus out to Kingsley telling him that Harry was sick and wouldn't be in the next morning. She fell asleep on the couch and woke around four, heading up to bed to check on him. He snuggled into her the moment she lay down.

Ginny was awoken the next morning to a groan from Harry's side of the bed. He was holding his head as he coughed so hard she thought that he might spit out his lung. She ran her hands over his damp back, feeling that he still felt rather feverish.

"Harry?"

"Gwinny," he said. "I fink im sick."

She laughed and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I know, Harry. I'll get you some potions, okay?"

Harry nodded and buried himself under the blankets. Ginny kissed his cheek as he fell back asleep and thought her stubborn Auror was the most adorable man she'd ever met.

It was the following week when Harry, Ginny, and Teddy went to Ron and Hermione's house for dinner. Teddy immediately ran into Hermione's outstretched arms looking for a hug.

"We brought dessert," Ginny said. "Where's Ron?"

Before Hermione could answer, Ron let out a bellow from across the house.

"Promise me you'll give me a good burial. This is the end, 'Mione, I can feel it!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Someone has a cold and is being a tad overdramatic."

Harry grinned. "What, does he think he's dying?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

Ginny exchanged a look with Harry and they both grinned.